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V   - 


o , 


DANIEL    O'CONNELL 


VOL.  I. 


PRINTED    BY 

SPOTTIS'WOODE    AND    CO.,    NEW-STREET   SQUARE 
LONDON 


COBBE  SPONDE  NCE 

OF 

DANIEL    O'CONNELL 

THE     LIBEEATOE 


EDITED  WITH  NOTICES   OF  HIS   LIFE  AND   TIMES 

BY  W.  J.  FITZPATEICK,  F.S.A. 

AirrHOH  OP  '  THE  LIFE,   TIMES,  AND  CORRESPONDENCE  OF  BISHOP   DOYLE  ' 
'LIFE  AND  TIMES  OF  LORD   CLONCURRY '  ETC. 


IN    TWO    VOLUMES  — VOL.    I. 


portrait 


LONDON 

JOHN    MUREAY,    ALBEMABLE     S TEE ET  .<.<'' 

1888 


All    rights    reserved 


Once  to  my  sight  the  giant  thus  was  given, 

Walled  by  wide  air,  and  roofed  by  boundless  heaven : 

Beneath  his  feet  the  human  ocean  lay, 

And  wave  on  wave  flowed  into  space  away. 

Methought  no  clarion  could  have  sent  its  sound 

E'en  to  the  centre  of  the  hosts  around; 

And,  as  I  thought,  rose  the  sonorous  swell, 

As  from  some  church-tower  swings  the  silvery  bell; 

Aloft  and  clear  from  airy  tide  to  tide 

It  glided  easy,  as  a  bird  may  glide. 

To  the  last  verge  of  that  vast  audience  sent, 

It  played  with  each  wild  passion  as  it  went.' 

(SiE  EDWAED  LYTTON  BULWEB'S  description  of  O'Connell 
as  an  orator.) 


PBEFACE. 


IT  has  been  remarked  by  the  historian  Lecky  that  '  who- 
ever turns  over  the  magazines  or  newspapers  of  the  period 
must  at  once  perceive  how  grandly  O'Connell's  figure 
dominated  in  politics — how  completely  he  had  dispelled  the 
indifference  that  had  so  long  prevailed  on  Irish  questions — 
how  clearly  his  agitation  stands  forth  as  the  great  event  of 
the  time.' 

D'Aubigne  says  that  '  the  only  man  like  Luther — in  the 
power  he  wielded — was  O'Connell.'  But  Luther  was  never 
Master  of  Cabinets  and  a  great  personality  in  the  govern- 
ment of  an  Empire.  The  political  power  of  Napoleon  has 
often  been  compared  to  that  of  O'Connell ;  but  '  the  un- 
crowned monarch  of  Ireland,'  without  the  effusion  of  a  drop 
of  blood,  governed  a  people  more  absolutely  than  Napoleon 
did,  was  idolised  while  he  ruled,  and  received  a  '  Tribute ' 
envied  by  kings. 

Mr.  Fagan,  M.P.,  a  biographer  of  O'Connell,  describes 
him  as  '  the  greatest  man  this  or  any  other  country  ever 
produced.'  This  statement  may  be  open  to  question: 
however,  the  truth  of  Greville's  words  will,  at  least,  be  re- 
cognised :  '  History  will  speak  of  him  as  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  men  who  ever  existed;  he  will  fill  a  great 
space  in  its  pages  ;  his  position  was  unique ;  there  never 
was  before,  and  there  never  will  be  again,  anything  at  all 
resembling  it.'  l 

1  Greville  Memoirs,  vol.  iii.  p.  386,  Vic. 


[6] 


PREFACE 


The  secret  thoughts  and  acts  of  one  who  played  a  part 
so  important  cannot  be  without  interest  to  the  reader,  or 
value  to  the  historian.  My  purpose  has  been  to  discover 
and  preserve  a  record  of  those  thoughts,  not  to  write  a 
detailed  life  of  the  Liberator,  which  has  been  already  done 
by  various  hands. 

The  letters  of  O'Connell  here  embraced — with  the 
exception,  perhaps,  of  some  to  Dr.  MacHale  published  by 
Miss  Cusack — are  unknown  to  his  biographers,  and  show 
the  frequent  inaccuracies  of  their  detail.  Persons  who  are 
aware  that  various  interesting  letters,  headed  '  The  O'Con- 
nell Papers,'  appeared  in  an  Irish  serial,1  may  confound  the 
two  undertakings.  But  they  are  utterly  different  in  their 
character.  In  the  case  of  the  magazine,  the  editor  found 
ready  to  his  hand  a  selection  from  such  letters  addressed 
to  O'Connell  by  friends  and  strangers  as  the  recipient  hap- 
pened to  preserve.  My  labours  in  collecting  the  letters 
written  by  O'Connell  began  more  than  twenty  years  ago. 
A  gifted  daughter  of  his  had  previously  attempted  the 
task,  but  failed.  The  most  important  portion  of  the  corre- 
spondence was  confined  to  a  few  who  guarded  it  as  a  sacred 
deposit ;  and  in  more  than  one  instance  death  had  to  be 
waited  for  ere  I  could  hope  to  acquire  the  coveted  treasure. 

'  This  is  a  mere  collection  of  letters,'  some  readers  may 
exclaim.  It  would  be  far  easier  for  me  to  write  a  '  Life  of 
O'Connell '  than  to  amass  the  literary  wealth  here  pre- 
sented. No  one  but  he  who  has  himself  tried  can  form  an 
idea  of  the  toil  involved  in  this  effort.  The  apathy,  the 
prejudices,  the  scruples,  the  narrow  fears  and  objections, 
the  false  sense  of  etiquette  that  have  to  be  argued  against 
and  overcome,  are  obstacles  and  worries  unknown  to  the 
popular  author,  who  throws  off  his  books  currente  calamo. 
The  tardily  given  promise  to  search  for  and  furnish  letters 
1  The  Irish  Monthly. 


PREFACE  [7] 

is  too  often  succeeded  by  procrastination ;  and  when  certain 
packets  of  papers  are  at  last  opened  to  me,  and  the  best 
parts  carefully  transcribed,  permission  to  publish  has  then 
to  be  obtained  from  other  parties  who  claim  to  have  a  joint 
ownership  in  the  letters,  attended  by  a  new  and  tedious 
correspondence  full  of  the  old  difficulties ;  the  whole  sug- 
gestive almost  of  the  labour  of  Sisyphus. 

To  explain,  by  copious  notes,  passages  or  allusions, 
often  designedly  obscure,  necessitated  an  examination  of  the 
newspapers  of  the  day,  reference  to  the  archives  of  contem- 
porary statesmen  and  politicians,  and  to  other  out-of-the- 
way  sources.  In  most  collections  of  letters  notes  are  few, 
as  critics  have  not  failed  trenchantly  to  point  out.  Many 
of  my  notes  have  been  more  than  once  recast,  and  for  this 
reason — it  was  not  easy  to  read  O'Connell's  fevered  words 
without  catching  contagion  from  them  ;  and  though  a  cer- 
tain warmth  would  not  be  deemed,  perhaps,  much  out  of 
place  or  surprising  in  one  whose  mind  has  been  long  satu- 
rated with  O'Connell's  correspondence,  I  thought  it  well  to 
confine  my  comments  within  strictly  historic  lines. 

As  regards  O'Connell's  own  language,  his  style  is  so 
well  known  that  probably  no  apology  is  needed  for  its 
strength.  No  man  was  more  fiercely  denounced  by  him 
than  Lord  Cloncurry,  who,  in  a  public  letter  to  Smith 
O'Brien  in  1847,  said  :  '  These  outbursts  were  a  part  of  his 
nature,  otherwise  so  kindly  and  so  good.'  Cloncurry  added 
that,  throughout  the  fiercest  of  these  sallies,  he  always 
loved  O'Connell.  Political  feeling  ran  high  at  that  day; 
and  O'Connell's  words  are  indeed  not  more  strong  than  the 
language  employed  by  the  highest  Tory  organs,  notably  the 
Quarterly,  Blackivood,  and  the  Times. 

The  late  P.  V.  FitzPatrick  possessed  from  1830  the 
Liberator's  confidence  to  a  most  remarkable  degree. 
To  him  O'Connell  would  write,  often  twice  in  one  day, 


[8]  PBEFACE 

unbosoming  his  inmost  thoughts,  and  detailing  facts — 
interesting  at  the  time,  and  of  historic  value  now.  'It 
lightens  my  heart  to  write  to  you,'  he  says,  on  March  11, 
1833 ;  and  in  these  volumes  countless  confidential  utter- 
ances will  be  found.  To  no  other  man  did  he  open  his 
mind  so  freely.  Without  him  the  great  Agitator's  power 
would  have  been  much  less  ;  for  FitzPatrick  held  not  only 
'  the  sinews  of  war,'  but  certain  diplomatic  agencies  capable 
of  producing  wonderful  effects.  How  necessary  '  The 
Tribute  '  was  to  carry  on  the  Agitation  and  to  reimburse 
O'Connell,  a  glance  at  p.  212  infra  will  show.  Partly  to 
stimulate  FitzPatrick  hi  organising  '  The  Tribute ' — which 
rose  to  16,OOOL  a  year,  and  is  stated  by  Dr.  Madden  to 
have  sometimes  reached  30,OOOZ. — O'Connell  paid  him  the 
compliment  of  all  others  the  most  prized. 

O'Connell's  prestige  stood  so  high  that  it  is  not  easy 
now  to  realise  its  fulness ;  and  the  confidence  he  reposed 
in  FitzPatrick  was  enough  to  intoxicate  a  mind  less  strong. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Eichard  Barrett — a  Protestant  and 
a  Tory — became  the  staunch  disciple  of  O'Connell,  and 
started  a  newspaper  which  was  long  the  organ  of  his  policy. 
To  fan  Barrett's  fervour  O'Connell  conferred  on  him — though 
to  a  less  extent — the  same  class  of  compliment  that  made 
FitzPatrick  so  envied.  O'Connell  knew  the  men  on  whom 
to  bestow  that  vital  connection  which  may  be  styled  the 
very  nerves  and  arteries  of  friendship.  His  letters  to 
Barrett  came  into  my  hands  so  far  back  as  the  year 
1859. 

I  desire  to  thank  the  Eight  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Bess- 
borough,  who  gave  me  many  important  letters  addressed  to 
his  late  father,  Lord  Duncannon,  when  a  member  of  the 
Grey  Cabinet.  Some  of  these  and  other  letters  are  marked 
confidential:  but  the  family  of  O'Connell  are  of  opinion 


PREFACE  [9] 

that,  however  private  such  letters  were  at  the  time,  they 
may  be  now,  without  scruple,  given  to  the  world. 

In  thorough  contrast  to  his  wrathful  tone  on  public 
questions  are  the  tender  letters  to  his  wife  and  daughter. 
I  gratefully  acknowledge  the  kindness  of  the  latter  in  placing 
her  father's  letters  in  my  hands;  equal  acknowledgment 
is  due  to  Daniel  O'Connell,  Esq.,  D.L.  of  Darrynane, 
grandson  of  the  Liberator,  who  made  some  interesting 
transcriptions  and  entrusted  me  with  many  curious  papers. 

The  Knight  of  Kerry  courteously  threw  open  to  me  the 
archives  of  his  family.  The  same  remark  applies  to  the 
late  Earl  of  Donoughmore,  the  Eight  Hon.  the  O'Conor 
Don,  and  the  representatives  of  the  Eight  Hon.  Anthony 
Eichard  Blake. 

N.  S.  O'Gorman,  Esq.,  placed  at  my  disposal  the  letters 
addressed  to  his  late  father,  Nicholas  Purcell  O'Gorman, 
'  Secretary  to  the  Catholics  of  Ireland.'  Mrs.  Morgan  John 
O'Connell  furnished  letters  addressed  to  John  O'Connell,  of 
Grena,  by  his  brother  Dan ;  and  I  must  also  thank  the 
representatives  of  Sir  Thomas  Wyse — James  Dwyer,  Q.C., 
M.  Crean,  and  Major  MacNamara.  The  letters  to  Staun- 
ton  I  got  from  himself. 

The  Eight  Hon.  the  Secretary  of  State  had  the  kindness 
to  cause  search  to  be  made  in  the  archives  of  the  Home 
Office,  and,  aided  by  the  Master  of  the  Eolls,  to  furnish  the 
result.  Lord  Stanley  of  Alderley  has  also  been  very  kind. 
From  Lords  Lansdowne  and  Normanby  I  was  not  fortunate 
in  obtaining  any  reply. 

O'Connell,  on  December  21,  1818,  and  again  on  June 
15,  1819,  assures  O'Conor  Don  that  he  is  '  the  very  worst 
letter-writer  in  the  world.'  That,  in  face  of  this  fact,  I 
should  have  succeeded  in  gathering  so  many  letters,  will 
be  acknowledged  as  satisfactory.  See  also  vol.  i.,  p.  297, 
where  Sir  W.  King  complains  that  101.  he  sent  O'Connell 


[10]  PREFACE 

for  his  defence  was  never  acknowledged.  Even  the  letters 
of  great  ecclesiastics  were  often  left  unnoticed.  Dr.  Dono- 
van, Domestic  Prelate  to  the  Pope,  is  told  (December  18, 
1825)  :— 

'  You  will  attribute  to  the  proper  cause — extreme  hurry 
— my  not  answering  letters.  If  I  had  time  yours  would 
be  certainly  one  of  the  first.'  And  O'Connell  only  writes  to 
him  then  to  beg  that  he  would  influence  Bishop  Doyle  on  a 
very  delicate  point. 

These  letters  throw  light  not  only  on  the  personal  life 
and  thoughts  of  O'Connell,  but  on  Courts  and  Cabinets — 
the  intrigues  of  public  men,  and  the  subtleties  of  political 
organisations.  Few  periods  of  greater  moment  in  England's 
history  have  yet  arisen.  The  papers  referring  to  the  youth- 
ful Princess  and  Queen  have  special  interest  at  a  time 
when  public  attention  is  being  re-directed  to  the  early 
stage  of  the  Victorian  Era ;  and  even  '  Mr.  Punch  '  re-issues 
his  cartoons  exhibitive  of  the  Young  Queen,  O'Connell, 
and  Lord  Melbourne.  Every  document  not  possessing 
some  public  interest,  or  revealing  a  personal  trait,  has  been 
weeded  out. 

Two  letters  written  by  O'Connell's  sons  are  introduced 
as  helping  to  complete  the  political  history  of  the  hour ; 
also  a  few  from  his  chaplain,  Dr.  Miley,  supplying,  in 
remarkable  words,  facts  known  only  to  himself.  Lord 
Duncannon's  letters  come  within  the  former  category. 

For  the  assistance  I  received  from  John  Murray,  Esq., 
junior,  while  these  volumes  were  passing  through  the  press, 
I  desire  to  record  my  appreciation. 

49  FiTzWiLLiAM  SQTJAEK,  DUBLIN  : 
October  1,  1888. 


CONTENTS 


THE     FIEST     VOLUME. 


CHAPTEE   I. 

I 

Birth  and  Boyhood  —  St.  Omer  —  Douay  —  Outburst  of  the  French 
Revolution — John  Sheares — Flight  from  France — Maira-ni-Dubh — 
London  and  Logic — Bar  Studies— Continental  Politics — '  Called  ' 
and  '  Chosen  ' — Anecdote — Marriage — The  Machinery  for  Catholic 
Agitation  laid — The  Knight  of  Kerry — Repeal  of  the  Union — Catholic 
Leaders  bribed  and  debauched — The  Convention  Act — The  Catholic 
Delegates  of  1811— Wellesley  Pole — Arrest  of  Lord  Fingall,  Dr. 
Sheridan,  and  Mr.  Kirwan — A  Struggle — Trial  and  Defence  of  John 
Magee  —  A  Labyrinth  of  Litigation  —  Delegation  annihilated  — 
O'Conor  Don — Fatal  Duel  with  D'Esterre — The  Viceroy  Whitworth 


CHAPTER   II. 

Grattan  becomes  a  Vetoist — Mr.  Tierney,  Sir  H.  Parnell,  Mr.  Plunket — 
Mr.  Addington — Philip  Whitfield  Harvey  —  Lord  Hutchinson  — 
O'Connell's  Affair  of  Honour  with  Peel — The  '  Second  '  challenged 
by  Peel — A  Footpad  shot  dead — O'Connell  arrested  in  London- — A 
Duel  ends  in  a  Dance — A  '  Castle  Bishop  ' — O'Connell's  domestic 
Character  vindicated  by  his  Wife — Death  of  Curran — Lord  Fingall — 
O'Connell  in  Difficulties — O'Conor  Don — '  Honest  Ned  Hay ' — The 
Duke  of  Leinster — 'Jack  Gifford  ' — The  Dog  in  Office — 'Now  or 
Never  '  is  the  time  to  strike  for  Emancipation—  Charges  against  the 
Secretary  to  the  Catholic  Board — O'Connell  and  Grattan  reconciled 
— Visit  of  George  IV.  to  Ireland — O'Connell  sends  his  Son  to  fight 
under  Bolivar —Lord  Cloncurry — '  The  Agitator '  appointed  Attorney- 
General  to  the  Queen— Catholic  Belief  Bill  of  1821 — Shell's  Syco- 
phancy,— Lord  Donoughmore— O'Connell'a  Cap  . 


35 


[12] 


CONTENTS  OF 


CHAPTEE   III. 

i 

Lord  Norbury  and  Mr.  Saurin — A  Discovery — Weak  and  Vacillating 
Policy  of  Lord  Wellesley — The  Viceroy's  Path  strewed  with  Insults 
—  Matin  Devotions — Catholic  Emancipation  offered — Belief  Bill 
prepared — Deputation  to  London — Full  Details  in  O'Connell's  Letters 
to  his  Wife — His  Parliamentary  Examination — Lionised  and  feasted 
— The  Great  Men  he  met — Attends  the  Levee — The  Catholics  duped 
— The  Cup  dashed  from  their  Lips  —Bill  to  suppress  the  Catholic 
Association — O'Connell  refuses  Reimbursement  for  Time  and  Toil — 
The  Catholic  Bent — Dr.  Doyle's  Coolness  with  O'Connell — '  The 
Wings ' — The  Duke  of  York — Bibbonism  active  .... 


80 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Continuance  of  Agitation  —  Beception  at  Bathkeale  —  A  Picturesque 
Picture — Forensic  Triumphs — Succeeds  to  Darrynane— A  Woman 
hanged  under  horrible  circumstances — Dismal  Week  at  the  Cork 
Assizes — Bevolt  of  the  Forty  Shilling  Freeholders — The  Waterford 
Election  of  1826 — Beresford  beaten — Election  Biot — Another  Duel 
—  The  Order  of  Liberators  —  Lord  Cloncurry  Grand  Master  — 
Ludicrous  Scene  at  a  Ball — The  Knight  of  the  Bueful  Visage — The 
Church  Establishment — Death  of  the  Duke  of  York — Lord  Lans- 
downe — Defeat  of  Sir  F.  Burdett's  Motion — Death  of  the  Prime 
Minister,  Lord  Liverpool— Canning  takes  the  Beins — Hope  burns 
brightly  in  Ireland  —  O'Connell  helps  to  make  the  Government  — 
Lord  Chancellor  Manners — Lord  Norbury  again — Death  of  Canning 
— The  Goderich  and  Wellington  Administrations — Lord  Anglesey 
Viceroy— Simultaneous  Meetings 


116 


CHAPTER   V. 

Lord  Lansdowne  and  O'Connell — The  Hibernian  Bank  —  The  Clare 
Election — John  Keogh — The  New  Daly's  Club — Apathy  of  former 
Friends — The  Catholic  Cause  formidably  Opposed — The  March  to 
Ballibay  —  Conciliation  tried  by  rendering  Personal  Service  to 
Orangemen — Hunt,  the  English  Radical,  assails  O'Connell — Law 
Reform  begun  by  O'Connell — Vesey  Fitzgerald — O'Connell  returned 
for  Clare — George  IV.  and  O'Connell — Brougham — Bishop  Doyle — 
Securities  proposed  as  an  adjunct  to  Emancipation — Difficulties  in 
taking  his  Seat — A  Duel— Villiers  Stuart  vacates  Waterford — Lord 
George  Beresford  seeks  O'Connell's  Help— Pierce  Mahony — O'Connell 
and  the  Knight  of  Kerry  alienated— Otway  Cave — Lord  F.  L.  Gower 
— The  '  Shave-beggars  ' — Thomas  Attwood — Reform  .  .  . 


154 


THE  FIRST    VOLUME 


[13] 


CHAPTEB   VI. 

FAGB 

The  New  Association  formed,  but  suppressed — The  O'Connell  Tribute 
— His  Gratitude— 'Long  live  King  William  ' — A  Sting  for  Staunton 
— Eichard  Barrett — Wellington  again  at  the  helm — Goulburn  and 
O'Connell — General  Cloney— O'Connell,  M.P.  for  Waterford— John 
condemns  his  Brother  Dan  for  agitating  '  Eepeal ' — Late  Hours  in 
the  House — A  New  King  for  Belgium — Bevolution  in  France — Con- 
tinued Attempt  to  suppress  his  Meetings  by  Proclamation — Affair 
of  Honour  with  Sir  H.  (afterwards  Lord)  Hardinge —Staunton  again 
— The  Northumberland  Viceroyalty — The  Leinster  Declaration — 
The  Repeal  Struggle  —  Primate  Curtis  —  National  Education  — 
Alarming  Outlook — A  Rush  upon  the  Banks  for  Gold  advised — A 
Spy  in  the  Camp — Marcus  Costello— The  Second  Viceroyalty  of 
Lord  Anglesey — Effort  to  induce  O'Connell  to  take  Office— Doherty 
made  Chief  Justice — A  Slumbering  Volcano — Lady  Glengall — Mr. 
Wallace,  Q.C 201 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Excitement  at  white  heat — '  Liberator,  say  the  word ' — Arrest  of 
O'Connell— Another  Affair  of  Honour— The  Traversers — 300,000 
Men  ready  to  March  on  Dublin — Overtures  from  the  Government 
— T.  O'Mara — The  Government  outmanoeuvred — Lord  Duncannon's 
Election — Letters  to  him — Mr.  Blackburne — Mr.  Stanley — Victory 
in  the  House — The  O'Connell  Fund — Bishop  Doyle  again — Major 
Sirr— Electioneering  Plans — Charles  Bianconi — Further  Letters  to 
Lord  Duncannon — Election  Rows — Press  Prosecutions — Reform — 
Conference  at  Lord  Althorp's — Creation  of  New  Peers — Home  Rule 
under  the  British  Crown — Trades  Unions — Commotion  in  Paris — 
Reform  Bill — Cessation  of  Tax-paying — Office  offered  to  O'Connell 
— Renewed  Correspondence  with  Lord  Duncannon — Patent  of  Pre- 
cedence—The Cholera — James  Dwyer — '  Times  to  try  Men's  Souls ' 
—  Massacre  at  Newtownbarry  —  O'Connell  assaulted  —  Remigius 
Sheehan — Resignation  of  Ministers — O'Connell  and  The  Times — 
'  The  Thunderer  ' — Sir  A.  Bradley  King's  Gratitude — Pat  Costello 


241 


CHAPTEB   VIII. 

Qualifying  for  an  Attorney-Generalship — Election  for  Dublin — Tories 
coalesce  with  O'Connell — Edward  Southwell  Ruthven — Tithe  War- 
fare— Louis  Perrin — Con  MacLoughlen — Progress  of  Repeal — Foot- 
Simon  and  Fat-Simon — To  Lord  Duncannon — '  The  Volunteers  for 
Repeal  of  the  Union  ' — The  Cabinet  puzzled — Coercion  Bill  of  Earl 


[14]  CONTENTS   OF 


PAGE 


Grey — A  Tory  O'Connell — Dr.  Boyton,  F.T.C.D — Attempted  Coali- 
tion with  Orangemen — '  A  Delightful  Vision  ' — Lord  Anglesey's 
threat  to  blockade  the  Irish  Ports — Agrarian  Outrages — '  Luttrel 
Lambert ' — Bishop  Doyle  —O'Connell  calumniated  —A  Great  Struggle 
— '  The  Die  is  cast :  we  are  Slaves  ' •  300 


CHAPTEE   IX. 

The  Bun  on  the  Banks — James  Silk  Buckingham — The  Volunteers — 
Sir  John  Cam  Hobhouse — '  The  Algerine  Ministry  ' — Confusion  in 
the  Camp — The  Whigs  beaten — Negro  Emancipation — Barrett  tried 
and  imprisoned — The  Ambition  of  O'Connell's  Life — Bemarkable 
Avowal — Eeform  Bill  thrown  out  by  the  Lords — Resignation  of 
Ministers  tendered — The  Throes  of  a  Bevolution — A  Crisis — O'Connell 
helps  the  Whigs  by  Voice  and  Vote — Cordial  Relations — Mr.  Secre- 
tary Littleton — Called  to  Order — Anonymous  Gifts  of  Gold — A  Laby- 
rinth of  Laws  swept  away—  Mr.  P.  Lavelle — O'Connell's  Speeches 
'  Burked  '—Queen  Adelaide — Feargus  O'Connor — F.  W.  Conway — 
Ship  Canals  through  Ireland — The  Church  Bill — A  Judge  holds  his 
Court  at  Midnight — '  The  Tories  are  gone  for  ever  !  '  .  .  .  338 


CHAPTER   X. 

The  Crisis  over — The  Orangemen — The  True  Sun — O'Connell's  Quarrel 
with  the  Reporters — Dr.  Baldwin — '  Ninety  M.P.s  would  bring  about 
the  Repeal ' — Office  again  offered — '  Littleton  is  a  famous  fellow ' — 
Darrynane  —  Second  Viceroyalty  of  Lord  Wellesley  —  Corporate 
Reform — Agitation  raised  against  the  House  of  Lords — Direct  Over- 
tures by  the  Ministry  to  O'Connell — Refusal  to  be  bought — '  A 
Domestic  Legislature  the  only  solid  good  for  Ireland  ' — Rintoul  and 
the  Spectator  —  Harassing  pecuniary  engagements  —  Archbishop 
Murray — Tithes — Stirling,  of  The  Times — The  Press  prosecuted 
again — Ireland  ravaged  by  Cholera — '  Who  is  the  Traitor  ?  '  —Parlia- 
mentary Inquiry — Startling  Words— Shiel  exonerated — '  Hurrah  for 
Old  Ireland  1 ' — O'Connell  moves  for  the  Dismissal  of  Baron 
Smith  .......  .374 


CHAPTEE   XI. 

Dungarvan  Election — Motion  of  Censure  on  Baron  Smith — Secretary 
Littleton  again — Ireland  ravaged  by  Cholera — Destructive  Fire — 
Burial  Service  rudely  prevented — Catholic  Cemeteries  projected — 
'  O'Connell's  Brewery  '  —  Great  Commercial  Distress  —  Canterbury 
Cathedral — Sir  Emerson  Tennent — Motion  in  Parliament  on  Repeal 
— Anxious  Preparations  for  Oratorical  Contest  with  Spring  Rice 
— He  Desponds— The  Tug  of  War — Result — James  Magee — Tom 


THE  FIRST   VOLUME  [15] 

PAGE 

Reynolds — The  Agitation  for  Repeal  Suspended — Sharman  Crawford 
— B.  More  O'Farrell — 'My  Tithe  Plan  is  shaking  the  Cabinet' — 
The  Derby  Dilly— The  Irish  National  Bank  started— The  Beporters 
refuse  to  take  down  O'Connell's  Speeches — A  Bow  and  its  Besult 
— Private  Understanding  between  the  Irish  Government  and 
O'Connell — Scene  between  Littleton  and  the  Liberator — An  Exposi 
— Althorp,  Grey,  and  Littleton  resign 405 


CHAPTER    XII. 

A  Note  of  Triumph — The  Banking  Scheme — Cadwallader  Waddy— 
Barrett  liberated — A  Plan  to  unite  all  sections  of  Irishmen — The 
Agricultural  Bank — Stanley  of  Alderley — Dublin  Castle  swept  clean 
of  Orangeism — Jubilee — The  Coercion  Bill  as  renewed — Letters  inter- 
cepted— Cahircon — Effort  to  eject  Blackburne  fails — At  Oxford — 
Poor  Laws  for  Ireland — Letters  to  Lord  Duncannon — Lord  Durham 
— Judge  Crampton  and  the  Bribe— Sir  M.  O'Loghlen — Baron  Greene 
— Judge  Perrin — A  grave  Indictment — A  Dilemma — Robert  Holmes 
— O'Connell  saves  a  man  from  the  scaffold — The  Monks  of  La 
Trappe — Houses  of  Parliament  burned — Barrett's  abstracted  Mind — 
Ludicrous  Scene — Downfall  of  the  Melbourne  Ministry — Peel  and 
Wellington  again — Orange  Orgies  —  Lord  Haddington  Viceroy — 
'G.  P.  O.' — Joseph  Hume— William  Cobbett — Attwood— Charles 
Phillips  again — An  Intrigue  at  Rome  foiled — A  Struggle  for  the 
Speaker's  Chair — A  Bad  Fall  for  the  Tories — '  Tictory  !  Victory ! ' — 
Mr.  Abercromby — Peel  beaten — Terms  with  the  Whigs — Correspon- 
dence with  the  Home  Secretary — William  Ford — Joe  Hume — Lord 
Kenmare— O'Connell  suffers  '  Mental  Agony ' — '  A  Bay  of  Hope ' — 
Ronayne  and  the  Pikes 448 


APPENDIX. 

The  Catholic  Association  —  William  Cobbett  —  How  to  Tranquillise 
Ireland  533 


POBTRUT  OF  DAJOEL  0'Cos>T:ix Frontispiece 


Errata. 

Page  483,  note  '  not  forthcoming,  should  be  omitted. 
„     487,  line  1  of  note,  for  Carthusian  read  Cistercian. 


THE 


PRIVATE    CORRESPONDENCE 


OF 


DANIEL    O'CONNELL. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Birth  and  Boyhood — St.  Omer — Douay — Outburst  of  the  French  Revolution — 
John  Sheares — Flight  from  France — Maira-ni-Dubh — London  and  Logic 
— Bar  Studies— Continental  Politics — '  Called  '  and  '  Chosen  ' — Anecdote 
— Marriage — The  Machinery  for  Catholic  Agitation  laid — The  Knight 
of  Kerry — Eepeal  of  the  Union — Catholic  Leaders  bribed  and  debauched 
— The  Convention  Act— The  Catholic  Delegates  of  1811 — Wellesley 
Pole — Arrest  of  Lord  Fingall,  Dr.  Sheridan,  and  Mr.  Kirwan— A  Struggle 
— Trial  and  Defence  of  John  Magee — A  Labyrinth  of  Litigation — 
Delegation  annihilated — O'Conor  Don — Fatal  Duel  with  D'Esterre — 
The  Viceroy  Whitworth. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL,  the  son  of  Morgan  O'Connell  and  Kate 
O'Mullane,  was  born  on  August  6,  1775,  at  Carhen,  near 
Cahirciveen,  county  of  Kerry.1  Daniel  and  a  younger  brother 
received  their  earlier  education  at  Cove,  near  Cork,  and  are 
afterwards  found  at  St.  Omer  and  Douay ;  but  the  outburst 
of  the  French  Re  volution  gravely  retarded  their  studies. 
Their  uncle,  Maurice  O'Connell,  of  Darrinane,2  familiarly 


1  It  appears  from  some  marriage 
licences    preserved   in    the   Eecord 
Office,  Dublin,  that  in  1771  Morgan 
O'Connell  of  Carhen  was  married  to 
Miss    O'Mullane    in    a    Protestant 
church   at   Cork.    Both  were  good 
Catholics,   and  for   some   time   de- 
signed their  son  Dan  for  the  priest- 
hood.     The   marriage  by  a  parson 
may  have  been  due  to  the  terrorism 
of  the  Penal  Code  under  which,  not 
long    previously,  priests  had  been 
outlawed. 

2  The  O'Connells    were   an   old 
stock.     By    letters    mandatory    of 
James  I,  dated  April  25, 1635,  Daniel 
M'Geoffery  O'Connell  of  Aghgort  was 

VOL.  I. 


constituted  High  Sheriff  of  Kerry. 
Further  search  in  the  Eecord  Office 
discovered  the  Subsidy  Eoll  for 
Iveragh,  with  the  names  of  those  on 
whom  the  tax  in  support  of  Charles 
II.  was  levied,  and  it  appears  that 
in  1667  Maurice  O'Connell  and 
Daniel  O'Connell  contributed  101. 
each. 

The  General  Count  O'Connell, 
born  at  Darrinane  in  1743,  a  dis- 
tinguished officer  of  the  Irish  Bri- 
gade in  the  service  of  France.  He 
finally  became  colonel  of  one  of  the 
British  regiments,  into  which  the 
Brigade  was  formed,  at  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Bourbons. 

B 


2  COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  i. 

known  as  '  Old  Hunting  Cap,'  had  no  children,  and  Dan  was 
now  generally  regarded  as  his  heir.  '  Hunting  Cap's  '  es- 
critoire still  occupies  its  original  niche  at  Darrinane  and 
contains  letters  addressed  to  him  by  his  nephews  Daniel  and 
Maurice  ;  also  their  school  accounts,  and  the  reports  of  their 
preceptors.  The  Eev.  Dr.  Stapleton,  afterwards  Bishop  and 
Vicar  Apostolic  of  the  Midland  district  of  England,  thus 
gives  his  opinion  of  Dan  in  January,  1792  : — '  I  never  was 
so  much  mistaken  in  my  life  as  I  shall  be  unless  he  [Dan]  is 
destined  to  make  a  remarkable  figure  in  society.' 

After  this  pronouncement  the  following  letters — written 
in  the  large  hand  of  a  child — may  disappoint  students 
of  epistolary  culture.  But  the  crumbling  relics  have  an 
interest  all  their  own  :— 

St.  Omer :  Feb.  3rd,  1792. 

My  dear  Uncle, — Since  I  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing 
from  you  last,  I  received  a  letter  from  my  Uncle  in  Paris  : 
he  desired  us  learn  mathematicks,  logick  and  rhetoric ;  as 
soon  as  I  received  his  letter,  I  went  to  the  President  to  in- 
form  him  of  it ;  he  told  me  that  the  price  of  learning  the 
mathematicks  here  is  a  Guinea  a  month,  upon  which  I 
wrote  to  my  Uncle  to  let  him  know  the  President's  answer. 
I  also  told  him  that  if  he  wished  we  should  follow  that 
system  of  Education,  it  would  be  better  send  us  elsewhere, 
where  we  may  go  thro'  a  regular  course  of  studies.  Not 
that  I  find  the  smallest  fault  with  this  colledge,  where  every 
thing  that  is  taught  in  it  is  sufficiently  attended  to  ;  the 
boys  taken  very  good  care  of,  and  the  living  good  enough. 

In  this  Colledge  are  taught  the  Latin  and  Greek  authors, 
French,  English,  and  Geography,  besides  lessons  given 
during  recreation  hours  in  Music,  dancing,  Fencing,  and 
drawing.  I  have  not  yet  inquired  about  rhetoric,  but  will 
do  it  (please  God)  as  soon  as  I  receive  an  answer  from  my 
Uncle. 

We  have  composed  for  the  second  time  since  I  came 
here.  I  got  second  in  Latin,  Greek  and  English,  and  eleventh 
in  French  ;  before  the  places  are  read  out  there  is  a  scene  or 
two  of  play  acted  on  a  small  stage,  which  is  in  the  Colledge, 
by  one  of  the  four  first  schools  (each  in  its  turn) ;  these  they 


1792  AT  ST.   OMEB  3 

call  Orations,  and  of  them  there  are  eight  in  the  year.  Of 
consequence  we  compose  eight  times ;  there  is  a  whole  play 
acted  in  the  month  of  August. 

As  our  trunk  was  too  large  to  get  into  our  dormitory, 
we  were  obliged  to  get  a  small  wooden  box  from  the  Pro- 
curator, nailed  against  the  wall  of  the  play  yard  ;  these  are 
here  called  houses,  we  keep  in  it  the  books  and  other  little 
things  we  brought  with  us.  The  President  told  me  that  he 
would  give  the  £W  we  brought  here  to  the  Procurator  to 
be  given  to  us  at  the  rate  of  Qd.  ster1  a  fortnight. 

I  should  not  mention  these  particulars  but  that  I  thought 
you  would  be  pleased  at  our  letting  you  know  every  circum- 
stance that  may  happen,  therefore  we  are  resolved  not  to 
let  any  slip  unnoticed. 

I  have  just  received  your  affectionate  letter  and  return 
you  sincere  thanks  for  it.  We  hope,  my  dear  Uncle,  to  be 
able  to  shew  our  gratitude  by  our  ready  obedience  to  all 
your  commands,  and  by  our  application  to  our  studies.  I 
have  delivered  your  letter  to  the  Procurator,  who  receives 
the  boys'  pension. — I  remain,  my  dear  Uncle, 

Your  affectionate  and  dutiful  Nephew, 

DANL.  O'CONNELL. 

It  is  curious  to  observe  that  several  of  these  letters  are 
marked  '  6s.  postage '  and  all  addressed  to  '  Darinane,  near 
Tralee.'  In  point  of  fact,  a  wild  district  extending  over 
forty  miles  intervenes  between  Darrinane  and  Tralee.  In 
course  of  time  the  Anglicised  form  of  spelling  Darrynane 
came  to  be  adopted  by  O'Connell  himself.3 

To  Maurice  O'Connell,  Darinane. 

St.  Omer  :  April  16th,  1792. 

My  dear  Uncle, — I  received  your  affectionate  letter  the 
beginning  of  this  month,  but  could  not  answer  it  before  now, 
as  there  was  since  a  suspension  of  studies,  during  which  I 
had  no  place  to  retire  to  from  whence  I  might  write  to  you. 

3  Darinane    signifies    '  the    oak       of  the  O'Connell  residence.     Dair 
grove    of    Finan,'    whose    ancient        is  the  Irish  for  oak. 
church  is  shown  within  a  few  miles 


4    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0'  CONN ELL  CH.  i. 

I  hope  you  have  long  since  received  the  different  letters 
we  wrote  to  you  since  the  17th  of  Feb.,  they  were  one  of 
the  first  of  March,  and  another  of  the  27th  or  thereabouts 
of  the  same  month ;  they  contained  an  account  of  an  order 
we  received  from  my  Uncle  Daniel  to  learn  mathematicks, 
together  with  the  price  of  learning  them  here,  which  is  a 
Guinea  a  month  ;  my  Uncle  desired  us  to  ask  your  advice 
about  the  matter  and  not  to  begin  until  we  received  an 
answer. 

As  the  Easter  examen  is  just  over,  our  studies  begin 
again  on  another  footing,  instead  of  the  books  I  mentioned 
before  we  now  read  Mignot's  harangues,  Cicero,  and  Caesar, 
those  are  our  Latin  authors,  tho'  they  are  read  over  without 
any  study  beforehand,  Caesar  is  given  us  chiefly  to  turn 
into  Greek ;  our  Greek  authors  are  Demosthenes,  Homer, 
and  Xenophon's  Anabasis ;  our  French  one  is  Dagaso's 
speeches. 

I  return  you  thanks  for  your  kindness  in  informing  us 
of  the  news  of  the  country.  We  hope,  my  dear  Uncle,  that 
our  conduct  will  merit  a  continuation  of  your  unparallelled 
friendship  towards  us ;  you  may  be  convinced  that  we  do 
our  utmost  endeavours  for  that  purpose,  and,  as  we  know 
that  you  require  no  more,  we  hope  (with  God's  assistance) 
to  be  able  to  succeed. 

Present  our  love  and  duty  to  our  dear  Grandmother, 
Father  and  Mother  and  all  other  friends. — I  am,  my  dear 
Uncle, 

Your  grateful,  dutiful,  and  affectionate  Nephew, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

P.S. — Philosophy  is  not  taught  publickly  in  this  Col- 
ledge.  "We  had  leave  to  eat  meat  during  this  Lent. 

St.  Omer :  June  30th,  1792. 

My  dear  Uncle, — Our  school  goes  to-morrow  to  our 
country  house.  We  are  to  remain  there  four  days,  which  are 
by  far  the  pleasantest  in  the  year.  The  house  is  situated 
in  a  beautiful  valley  about  a  league  from  the  town.  All 


1792  AT  DOUAY  5 

the  boys  go  there  once  a  fortnight  and  remain  a  day;  this 
renders  the  summer  very  agreeable  [torn], 

I  have  learned  some  other  particulars  relative  to  the 
colledge  [at]  Douay  since  my  last,  which  are  that  French 
is  paid  no  great  attention  to  there,  nay,  almost  totally 
neglected.  Arithmetic  also,  it  is  said,  will  soon  be  entirely 
laid  aside.  In  that  science  my  brother  is  in  Practice',  I 
am  in  Interest. 

It  is  said  that  all  the  letters  which  leave  this  kingdom 
are  first  sent  to  Paris,  where  they  are  opened.  If  this  is 
the  case,  it  may  in  some  measure  account  for  the  great 
length  of  time  our  letters  take  before  you  receive  them. 

Douay :  Sep.  14,  1792. 

My  dear  Uncle,—  My  Brother  wrote  to  you  about  a  week 
after  we  arrived  here.  I  was  then  in  the  infirmary,  being 
taken  with  some  slight  fits  of  the  ague. 

We  left  St.  Omer  about  the  18th  Ult°,  and  arrived  here 
the  same  day.  The  procurator  only  gave  us  a  crown  each, 
which  was  barely  sufficient  for  the  road  as  we  left  St.  Omer 
before  breakfast  time  and  did  not  arrive  here  until  very 
late  in  the  evening.  As  soon  as  we  arrived  we  got  each  a 
room  in  which  there  was  no  furniture  except  a  bed,  for  every 
boy  is  supposed  to  bring  money  with  him  to  furnish  his 
room  :  we  were  in  great  distress  for  the  first  night,  next 
morning  a  young  man,  a  Mr.  Duggan,  from  near  Newmarket 
in  the  County  Cork,  came  to  us,  spoke  to  us  very  civilly  and 
told  us  he  would  chuse  furniture  for  us  :  we  immediately 
told  him  how  our  affair  stood  and  asked  his  advice.  He 
told  us  we  should  go  to  the  procurator  and  tell  him  our 
case  and  that  he  may  depend  upon  the  payment  of  any 
thing  reasonable  advanced  us.  Upon  our  doing  so  the 
procurator  advanced  us  a  Guinea  and  a  half,  with  which 
we  bought  most  of  the  little  things  necessary  for  our  rooms 
such  as  looking  glasses,  candlesticks,  washing  basons  &c. ; 
we  likewise  were  obliged  to  buy  buckles  (as  the  St.  Omer's 
College  buckles  were  small  iron  ones)  for  about  4s.  ster. 
each.  But  as  we  had  not  money  enough  to  buy  knives 


6          CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  i. 

forks  &c.  for  refectory  Mr.  Duggan  forced  us  to  borrow  half 
a  Guinea  of  him  for  that  purpose. 

Mr.  Baymont,  the  procurator,  sent  for  me  a  few  days 
ago,  and  told  me  that,  as  he  depended  on  the  credit  you 
had  given  him,  he  would  provide  us  with  furniture  even 
before  we  got  a  letter  from  you,  so  that  we  have  already  got 
tables.  The  furniture  consists  of  a  desk  and  cupboard,  a 
table,  a  small  table  for  washing,  poudering,4  &c.  on,  and 
four  chairs.  The  pension  here  is  twenty  five  Guineas  a 
year ;  we  get  very  small  portions  at  dinner ;  most  of  the 
lads  (those  who  are  on  Bourses  excepted)  get  what  they  call 
seconds,  that  is,  a  second  portion  every  day,  and  for  them 
they  pay  3  or  ^4  a  year  extraordinary.  We  would  be  much 
obliged  to  you  for  leave  to  get  them,  but  this  as  you  please. 
I  hope,  my  dear  Uncle,  that  you  will  not  think  me  trouble- 
some in  saying  so  much  on  those  heads  :  you  may  be  con- 
vinced that  it  is  only  a  desire  of  satisfying  you  and  of  letting 
you  know  in  what  way  your  money  is  spent  that  makes  me 
do  so.  I  have  been  to  the  president  about  our  beginning 
philosophy,  he  desired  me  write  to  you  again  and  inform 
you  that  the  course  of  philosophy  began  last  Whitsuntide, 
and  that  we  would  in  commencing  so  be  under  a  great  dis- 
advantage. Ehetorick  began  at  the  same  time,  so  that  we 
are  no  better  off  there.  We  have  already  learnt  the  first 
principles  of  the  last  mentioned  science,  and  before  we  can 
get  an  answer  from  you,  we  will  (please  God)  get  so  far  as 
to  be  able  to  study  it  privately  by  ourselves.  If  we  go  into 
philosophy  now,  we  will  save  a  whole  year.  We  study,  in  our 
leisure  hours,  the  beginning  of  Philosophy ;  Mr.  Duggan 
has  got  us  books  and  instructs  us  in  any  difficulty.  We 
can  get  lessons  wherever  we  study  the  law  and  learn  more 
Ehetorick  in  one  month  (the  lessons  being  commonly  given 
in  English)  than  here  in  a  whole  year.  It  is  therefore 
my  opinion  (which  I  entirely  submit  to  your  superior 
judgement)  that  it  would  be  much  better  for  us  go  strait 

4  It  was  the  fashion  of  the  day  the  students  in  natural  philosophy 

to  powder  the  hair.     An  old  priest,  used  hair  powder,  and   Monsignor 

Archdeacon     MacMahon,     remem-  Kennedy  assures  me  that  the  prac- 

bers     that    at    Maynooth     College  tice  was  not  confined  to  that  class. 


1792-3  LOUIS  XVI.  EXECUTED  1 

into  philosophy  than  remain  any  longer  in  Ehetorick. — I 
remain,  my  dear  Uncle, 

Your  sincerely  affectionate,  grateful, 

and  dutiful  Nephew, 

DL.  O'CONNELL. 

We  are  obliged  to  pay  for  the  washing  ourselves.  At  St. 
Omers  everything  was  done  for  the  boys,  here  the  boys  are 
obliged  to  do  everything  themselves.  This  college  is  much 
better  in  every  respect  than  the  other. 

A  considerable  nutter  now  agitated  the  schools.  A  letter 
to  Uncle  Maurice,  dated  '  Douay,  January  17,  1793,'  re- 
marks : — '  The  present  state  of  affairs  in  this  country  is 
truly  alarming;  the  conduct  the  English  have  pursued  with 
regard  to  the  French  in  England  makes  us  dread  to  be 
turned  off  every  day.  In  case  of  a  war  with  England,  this 
is  almost  inevitable.' 

Uncle  Maurice  at  once  ordered  his  nephews  home. 
John  Sheares — afterwards  hanged  in  the  Eebellion  of  '98 — 
chanced  to  be  their  travelling  companion  from  Calais  to 
Dover,  and  the  future  Liberator  was  shocked  to  see  him 
draw  from  his  pocket,  and  exultingly  exhibit,  a  handkerchief 
which  he  had  soaked  in  the  blood  of  Louis  XVI.,  as  it  flowed 
from  the  scaffold.5 

Daniel  O'Connell  left  France  in  a  state  nearly  approach- 
ing, as  he  often  said,  to  that  of  a  Tory  at  heart,  and  as  soon 
as  the  English  packet-boat  got  under  way,  he  tore  from 
his  hat,  and  flung  into  the  sea,  the  tricolour  cockade  which 
regard  for  personal  safety  made  it  indispensable  to  wear  on 
French  soil.  Some  French  fishermen,  rowing  past,  cursed 
him  as  they  reverently  rescued  the  cockade. 

To  Maurice  O'Connell,  Darinane. 

London :  March  21st,  1793. 

My  dear  Uncle, — I  send  you  by  my  Uncle  Dan's  orders, 
although  it  is  not  a  month  since  Maurice  wrote,  the  ac- 
counts, as  they  came  from  Douay.  We  left  most  of  our 

5  Mr.  John  O'Connell  mentions  the  date  of  the  execution  of  Louis 
this  fact  in  the  sketch  of  his  father's  XVI.  as  December  21,  1793,  instead 
life  (p.  9),  but  strangely  errs  in  giving  of  January  21,  1793 . 


8  CORRESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  i. 

furniture,  together  with  my  violin,6  to  be  sold,  but  they 
have  been  seized  by  the  Municipality,  as  was  every  other 
article  which  had  no  particular  owner  then  present — all 
such  goods  being  considered  as  national  property.  Thus 
the  College  has  been  deprived  of  all  its  ...  plate  .  .  . 
&c.  &c. 

When  we  came  to  London  we  had  every  single  article  of 
wearing  apparel  to  buy,  and  as  things  are  excessively  dear 

here,  a  large  sum  of  money  is  soon  expended.     We  got 

[Here  a  long  list  of  articles  were  enumerated.] 

Your  most  dutiful  and  affectionate  Nephew, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

P.S. — We  are  satisfied  in  every  respect  with  our  present 
situation. 

To  Maurice  O'Connell,  Darinane. 

London  :  8bre  21st,  1793. 

My  dear  Uncle, — I  wrote  to  you  at  the  beginning  of  the 
month.  Circumstances,  such  as  intervened,  and  which  I 
did  not  then  expect,  make  me  write  to  you  again. 

I  was  a  little  surprised  this  morning  on  Mr.  Fagan  in- 
forming me  that  he  could  no  longer  go  on  with  the  plan  he 
had  laid  down  for  himself  in  the  beginning  of  the  year — in 
short,  that  he  could  no  longer  keep  school.  I  instantly 
went  to  Mr.  Pagan,7  who  told  me  he  would  place  me  in  the 
same  house  with  my  brother  until  we  had  received  orders 
from  you  how  to  proceed.  Accordingly  I  am  to  go  thither 
in  a  few  days.  I  will  (please  God)  trouble  my  Uncle  with  a 
letter  as  soon  as  I  am  settled,  which  will  inform  you  both 
what  I  am  studying. 


6  It  has  been  often  stated  that 
O'Connell,  like  Dr.  Johnson,  had 
no  appreciation  for  music,  and  could 
not  distinguish  '  Garryowen  '  from 
'  Eule  Britannia.'  The  allusion  to 
his  violin  disproves  this  assertion. 
Further,  the  man  who  made  the 
remark  recorded  below  cannot  have 
been  without  soul  and  ear : — 

'  It  may  interest  you  to  learn  that 


my  father  always  considered  Moore's 
Melodies  had  been  of  much  service 
in  raising  and  encouraging  the  agi- 
tation for  Catholic  Emancipation.' — 
Daniel  O'Connell  to  W.  J.  Fitz- 
Patrick.  London,  April  18,  1887. 

7  A  relative  of  the  O'Connell 
family,  afterwards  an  officer  in  the 
East  India  Company's  service. 


1793-5 


MAIBA-NI-DTJBH 


9 


Mr.  Waters — Count  Rice's  nephew — and  I  are  the  only 
constant  boarders  that  Mr.  Fagan  has  had  [for  some]  time 
past.  The  smallness  of  our  number,  and  the  dearness  of 
the  different  articles  of  life — increased  since  the  war  began 
— led  him  to  such  a  step  as  he  has  been  at  last  obliged  to 
take  for  his  own  protection.  Mr.  Fagan,  on  the  whole, 
thinks  that  will  turn  as  much  to  my  advantage — as  I  have 
got  pretty  near  the  end,  and  over  almost  if  not  all  the  diffi- 
culties of  Logic. 

Please  to  present  my  duty  to  my  dear  Grandmother,8 
Uncle,  Father  and  Mother,  and  love  to  my  brothers  and 
sisters,  and  all  other  friends. 

Your  sincerely  affectionate  and  grateful  Nephew, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  Maurice  O'Connett,  Darinane. 

Chiswick,  near  London  :  December  10th,  1795. 

My  dear  Uncle, — I  delayed  answering  your  letter  until 
I  should  have  it  in  my  power  to  inform  you  that  I  had 
changed  my  place  of  residence,  in  conformity  to  your  desire. 

On  calculating  the  expenses  of  retiring  to  a  cheaper  spot, 
and  of  returning  to  keep  my  term  in  January,  I  found  it 
would  not  answer ;  so  I  have  dropped  the  scheme.  I  am 
now  only  four  miles  from  town,  yet  perfectly  retired.  I 
pay  the  same  price  for  board  and  lodging  as  I  should  in 
London;  but  I  enjoy  many  advantages  here,  besides  air 


8  This  remarkable  woman, 
known  as  Maira-ni-Dubh,  daughter 
of  O'Donoghue  of  the  Lakes, 
married  O'Connell  of  Darrinane 
early  in  the  last  century.  She  was 
recognised  as  a  person  of  vigor- 
ous intellect,  whom  friends  with 
mingled  reverence  and  awe  would 
constantly  consult.  Her  caustic 
sarcasm  and  strong  denunciation  of 
all  who  sought  to  thwart  her  views 
are  still  vividly  described  by  her 
kinsfolk.  Her  son,  Maurice  O'Con- 
nell of  Darrinane,  '  Old  Hunting 
Cap,'  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-seven. 
The  long  time  which  has  elapsed 


since  '  Maira-ni-Dubh '  lived,  and  the 
wonderful  permanence  of  the  im- 
pression left  by  her  strong  will,  may 
thus  be  inferred.  When  paying 
servitors  their  wages  she  always 
exclaimed  in  Irish  :  '  May  God 
prosper  or  melt  away  your  wages 
according  as  you  earned  them.'  This 
letter  corrects  the  family  tombstone, 
which  represents  Maira-ni-Dubh  as 
having  died  in  1792. 

The  Great  Agitator  is  considered 
to  have  inherited  from  '  Maira-ni- 
Dubh  '  his  muscular  mind  and  power 
of  invective. 


10        COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL 


CH.   I. 


and  retirement.  The  society  in  the  house  is  mixed ;  I  mean, 
composed  of  men  and  women,  all  of  whom  are  people  of 
rank  and  knowledge  of  the  world ;  so  that  their  conversation 
and  manners  are  perfectly  well  adapted  to  rub  off  the  rust 
of  scholastic  education  ;  nor  is  there  any  danger  of  riot 
or  dissipation,  as  they  are  all  advanced  in  life — another 
student  of  law  and  I  being  the  only  young  persons  in  the 
house.  This  young  man  is  my  most  intimate  acquaintance, 
and  the  only  friend  I  have  found  amongst  my  acquaintance. 
His  name  is  Bennett.9  He  is  an  Irish  young  man  of  good 
family  connections  and  fortune.  He  is  prudent,  and  strictly 
economical.  He  has  good  sense,  ability,  and  application. 
I  knew  him  before  my  journey  to  Ireland.  It  was  before 
that  period  our  friendship  commenced;  so  that,  on  the 
whole,  I  spend  my  time  here  not  only  very  pleasantly,  but, 
I  hope,  very  usefully. 

The  only  law  books  that  I  have  bought  as  yet,  are  the 
works  of  Espinasse,  on  the  trials  of  Nisi  Prius.  They  cost 
me  £1  10s.,  and  contain  more  information  on  the  prac- 
tical part  of  the  law  than  any  other  work  I  have  ever  met. 
"When  in  Dublin,  I  reflected  that  carrying  any  more  books 
than  were  absolutely  necessary  would  be  incurring  expense  ; 
so  I  deferred  buying  a  complete  set  of  reports  until  my  return 
thither. 

I  have  now  two  objects  to  pursue — the  one,  the  attain- 
ment of  knowledge ;  the  other,  the  acquisition  of  all  those 
qualities  which  constitute  the  polite  gentleman.1  I  am  con- 


9  Eichard  Newton  Bennett,  who 
continued  through  life  the  attached 
friend  of  O'Connell.  He  was  present 
at  O'Connell's  duel  with  D'Esterre 
(p.  28,  infra),  and  later  on  is  recom- 
mended for  promotion  (p.  149).  Ben- 
nett became  a  Colonial  Chief  Justice. 

1  O'Connell  does  not  use  the 
word  '  polite  '  in  the  sense  of  suave. 
The  following  letter  of  the  same 
time  shows  that  he  early  began  to 
speak  his  mind  freely,  and  to  provoke 
the  penalty  that,  later  on,  brought 
him  into  hostile  relations  with  Peel, 
D'Esterre,  Disraeli  and  Alvanley  : — 


'  To  Danl.  O'Connel  (sic). 

'  Chiswick  :  Deer.  18th,  1795. 
'  Sir, — Unless  you  make  a  point  of 
disclosing  to  me  the  Eeason  of  your 
Expressions  last  night  I  shall  most 
certainly  look  upon  and  treat  you  as 
every  one  deserves  who  deviates  so 
much  from  the  character  and  manners 
of  a  Gentleman.  Depend  upon  it  no- 
thing but  the  Idea  of  the  Mortification 
it  would  have  been  to  Genl.  Morrison 
prevented  me  from  treating  you  at 
that  moment  as  you  justly  deserved. 

'  I  am,  &c., 
'  DOUGLAS  THOMPSON.' 


1795  CAPTUEE   OF  MANNHEIM  11 

vinced  that  the  former,  besides  the  immediate  pleasure  which 
it  yields,  is  calculated  to  raise  me  to  honours,  rank,  and 
fortune ;  and  I  know  that  the  latter  serves  as  a  general 
passport  or  first  recommendation  :  and  as  for  the  motives 
of  ambition  which  you  suggest,  I  assure  you  that  no  man 
can  possess  more  of  it  than  I  do.  I  have,  indeed,  a  glowing 
and — if  I  may  use  the  expression — an  enthusiastic  ambition, 
which  converts  every  toil  into  a  pleasure,  and  every  study 
into  an  amusement. 

Though  nature  may  have  given  me  subordinate  talents, 
I  never  will  be  satisfied  with  a  subordinate  situation  in  my 
profession.  No  man  is  able,  I  am  aware,  to  supply  the 
total  deficiency  of  abilities,  but  everybody  is  capable  of 
improving  and  enlarging  a  stock,  however  small,  and  in  its 
beginning,  contemptible.  It  is  this  reflection  that  affords 
me  most  consolation.  If  I  do  not  rise  at  the  Bar,  I  will  not 
have  to  meet  the  reproaches  of  my  own  conscience.  It  is 
not  because  I  assert  these  things  now,  that  I  should  conceive 
myself  entitled  to  call  on  you  to  believe  them.  I  refer  that 
conviction  which  I  wish  to  inspire  to  your  experience.  I 
hope,  nay,  I  flatter  myself,  that  when  we  meet  again,  the 
success  of  my  efforts  to  correct  those  bad  habits  which  you 
pointed  out  to  me  will  be  apparent.  Indeed,  as  for  my  know- 
ledge in  the  professional  line,  that  cannot  be  discovered  for 
some  years  to  come ;  but  I  have  time  in  the  interim  to 
prepare  myself  to  appear  with  greater  eclat  on  the  grand 
theatre  of  the  world. 

You  have  heard  of  the  capture  of  Mannheim.  The 
Austrians  continue  to  advance  rapidly  on  the  French  side 
of  the  Ehine.  They  are  said  to  be  marching  towards 
Luxemburg.  In  the  meantime  the  French  are  evacuating 
Holland.  Whether  this  event  will  be  favourable  to  the 
Stadtholder  is  as  yet  uncertain.  The  Ministry,  who  are 
become  unpopular,  owing  in  particular  to  the  two  Bills  of 
which  you  must  have  heard,  and  in  general  to  the  ill 
success  of  the  war,  already  tottered  in  their  seats ;  but  the 
brilliant  victories  of  the  Austrians  have  secured  them  at 
least  for  some  time.  That  we  shall  soon  have  peace  is  no 


12        CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  i. 


longer  a  question.     Everybody  believes  it,  and  the  King's 
messages  to  Parliament  confirm  the  belief. — I  am,  dear  Uncle* 
Your  affectionate  and  dutiful  Nephew, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell  soon  after  returned  to  Ireland,  and  in  1798 
was  called  to  the  Bar.  There  is  a  great  break  in  his  corre- 
spondence from  this  date.  The  troubled  times  had  begun, 
mail-coaches  were  stopped,  few  letters  were  written  or  pre- 
served. He  read  hard,  fell  sick,  nearly  died,  rallied,  went 
on  circuit,  and  pulled  troops  of  clients  through.  A  Kerryman 
named  Sigerson,  against  whom  he  accepted  a  brief,  was  so 
stung  by  the  young  '  counsellor's  '  answer  to  evidence  that 
he  called  him  'a  purse-proud  blockhead.'  'I  have  no  purse 
to  be  proud  of,'  said  O'Connell ;  '  and  if  I  am  a  blockhead 
all  the  better  for  you,  as  I  am  counsel  against  you.'  He  won. 
The  discomfited  man  wrote  him  a  challenge ;  but  a  second 
letter  came  saying,  'I  find  that  your  name  occurs  in  a 
valuable  lease,  therefore  I  cannot  afford  to  shoot  you  unless 
you  insure  your  life  for  my  benefit !  ' 2 

Daniel  O'Connell  made  a  love-match.  On  June  23, 
1802,  he  married  his  cousin  Mary,  daughter  of  Dr.  0  Connell, 
of  Tralee.  The  nuptials  were  privately  solemnised  in  Dublin 
at  the  lodgings  of  her  brother-in-law.  Dan,  it  will  be  re- 
membered, was  regarded  as  the  heir  of  Old  Hunting  Cap. 
Mary  O'Connell  had  no  fortune,  and  the  immediate  kins- 
folk of  her  admirer  strongly  opposed  the  match.  Various 
letters,  seeking  to  dissuade  him  from  it,  are  now  before  me. 

A  daughter  of  the  subsequent  '  Liberator  '  mentions 
that  Uncle  Maurice  never  forgave  '  Dan '  for  not  marrying 
Miss  Mary  Ann  Healy,3  of  Cork,  and  that  he  left  elsewhere 
much  that  would  otherwise  have  been  hers.  Maurice  sur- 
vived until  the  year  1825,  when  he  died,  aged  ninety-seven. 


2  For  a  notice  of  other  cases  in 
which   O'Connell  was  engaged,  see 
Appendix. 

3  Miss     Healy    was     a    mature 
spinster,  short   in    stature,  but   fa- 
mous for  her  long  purse — and  nose. 
This  organ   threatened  to   militate 
so  gravely  against  the  future  pros- 
pects of  the  lady,  that   her  uncle, 
when  writing  his  will,  was  urged  to 
make  her  fortune  larger  '  on  account 
of  her  nose.'     Miss  Healy,  this  dis- 


appointment notwithstanding,  con- 
tinued to  maintain  to  the  end  friendly 
relations  with  '  Dan  '  and  his  house- 
hold, and  at  the  balls  at  30  Merrion 
Square — the  Liberator's  residence — 
she  was  long  a  familiar  and  most 
amusing  figure.  Her  appearance 
was  so  grotesque  that  the  younger 
members  of  the  family,  as  they  as- 
sure me,  always  felt  ashamed  of  her. 
Miss  Healy  died  unmarried. 


1802  A  LOVE  LETTEE  13 

The  following  letter  from  O'Connell  to  his  wife,  dated 
'  November  1802,'  is  addressed,  in  a  disguised  hand,  to 
'  Miss  O'Connell,  Tralee,'  and,  as  appears  from  the  post- 
mark, cost  the  fair  recipient  sixpence  on  delivery ;  but  she 
would  as  readily  have  given  diamonds  for  such  precious 
words.  Considering  that  the  secret  was  mainly  dependent 
on  a  lady,  it  seems  to  have  been  marvellously  well  kept. 

Dublin  :  November  25,  1802. 

Darling, — I  can  write  you  but  a  few  lines  as  it  is  grown 
so  late,  and  my  time  is  small.  I  was  finishing  some  law 
business  which  I  had  solemnly  promised  to  dispose  of  this 
night. 

You  will  know,  my  heart's  dearest  treasure,  that  whether 
I  write  few  or  many  words,  there  certainly  is  not  in  the  world 
a  man  who  more  fondly  doats  on,  or  who  so  anxiously  longs 
for  the  arms  of  his  wife.  Day  and  night  you  are  continually 
present  to  my  fond  thoughts,  and  you  always  increase  my 
happiness  or  lessen  my  cares.  With  you  I  could  live  with 
pleasure  in  a  prison  or  a  desert.  You  are  my  all  of  com- 
pany, and  if  I  can  but  preserve  your  love  I  shall  have  in  it 
more  of  true  delight  than  can  be  imagined  by  any  but  he  who 
sincerely  loves.  Sweet  Mary,  I  rave  of  you  !  I  think  only  of 
you  !  I  sigh  for  you,  I  weep  for  you  !  I  almost  pray  to  you  ! 

Darling,  I  do  not — indeed  I  do  not — exaggerate.  If 
there  be  more  of  vehemence  in  my  expressions,  believe 
me  that  vehemence  has  its  justification  in  my  heart — a  heart 
that  is  devoted  to  the  most  enticing  of  her  sex.  Indeed  you 
are  a  dear,  charming  little  woman. 

Your  last  letter  I  have  read  again  and  again  and  again. 
It  is  in  every  respect  a  most  pleasing  letter  to  me ;  not  only 
from  the  heart-flowing  strain  of  tenderness  in  which  it  is 
written,  but  the  saucy  gaiety  of  some  of  the  passages  show 
me  how  much  recovered  my  love  is.  ...  Mary,  how  fondly 
I  shall  cherish  the  little  stranger  coming  !  I  hope  it  may 
be  a  daughter,  and  as  like  you  as  possible.  Oh  God  ! 
how  I  then  will  love  her  !  How  sincerely  will  I  express  my 
affection  to  themotherin  the  caresses  I  bestow  on  the  child. 
Dearest,  sweetest  wife,  I  can  thus  hope  to  be  able  to  prove 


14       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  i. 

to  you  the  ardour  and  the  purity  of  the  pleasing  affection 
— to  me  at  least  most  pleasing  affection — with  which  my 
whole  soul  doats  on  you. 

Dearest,  I  am  writing  with  great  rapidity,  but  still  my 
thoughts  run  much  faster  than  my  pen.  I  could  praise 
you  a  thousand  times  faster  than  I  write,  as  I  love  you  a 
thousand  times  more  than  I  can  tell. 

I  shall  soon  see  you,  dearest  darling.  Love  to  dear 
mother.  Ever  your  devoted  Husband, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

In  a  week  we  shall  be  able  to  fix  the  time  of  our 
departure.  Happy,  happy  moment  that  gives  me  my  sweet 
wife  again. 

O'Connell,  when  conversing  with  his  secretary,  Mr. 
Daunt,  in  1843,  said  :  '  I  never  proposed  marriage  to  any 
woman  but  one — my  Mary.  I  told  her  I  would  devote  my 
life  to.  make  her  happy — and  she  deserved  that  I  should. 
I  thought  my  uncle  would  disinherit  me.  But  I  did  not 
care.  I  was  richly  rewarded  by  subsequent  happiness. 
She  had  the  sweetest,  the  most  heavenly  temper,  and — the 
sweetest  breath.' 

He  added  a  shrewd  remark  which  deserves  to  be  remem- 
bered :  '  It  is  unwise  on  the  part  of  a  lover  to  offer  marriage 
at  an  early  period  of  his  courtship.  By  this  precipitation 
he  loses  the  advantage  which  female  curiosity  must  other- 
wise afford  him,  and  in  sapping  his  way  to  her  heart  discards 
a  powerful  auxiliary.' 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry.4 

Westland  Row,  Dublin :  May  14,  1807. 

Dear  Sir, — I  had  the  honour  of  receiving  your  letter 
this  morning,  and  should  have  been  happy  to  have  contri- 
buted to  your  re-election  were  it  in  my  power.  I  do  assure 
you  you  would  have  found  my  exertions  most  zealous  and 
cordial,  however  unable  I  might  have  been  to  render  them 
useful. 

4  The  Knight  of  Kerry,  the  Eight  his  native  county,  gave  efficient  sup- 
Hon.  Maurice  Fitzgerald,  during  port  to  the  Catholic  claims.  O'Con- 
thirty-five  years  that  he  represented  nell's  extensive  correspondence  with 


1807 


THE   CATHOLIC  PETITION 


15 


I  have  no  doubt  you  will  receive  all  the  support  my 
family  can  give.  They  all  concur  with  me  in  thinking  that 
no  person  can  have  such  claims  on  that  support  either  from 
reasons  of  personal  respect  or  motives  of  public  principle. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

From  the  year  1805  O'Connell  took  a  lead  in  the  E.  C. 
Party  of  Action  in  opposition  to  Pitt,  Fox  and  Grattan, 
and  even  the  old  Catholic  leader  Keogh,  who  were  anxious 
that  the  question  should  wait. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Westland  Eow,  Dublin :  Dec.  26, 1807. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  a  request  to  make  of  you  to  which 
I  am  urged  by  several  of  the  gentlemen  here  who  have 
been  active  in  preparing  the  Catholic  petition.  Your  zeal 
in  our  cause5  would  alone  be  sufficient  to  justify  the  applica- 
tion to  you ;  but,  besides  any  consideration  of  that  kind,  I 
confess  to  you  I  should  not  of  myself  feel  any  difficulty  in 
taking  the  liberty. 

The  object  arises  thus  :  a  petition  was  prepared  last  year 
for  presenting,  but  postponed  6  on  account  of  the  change  of 
administration.  That  petition  has  since  got  into  print, 
and  we  are  induced  to  believe  that,  having  been  once  printed 
and  published,  it  cannot,  according  to  the  humours  of  the 
House  of  Commons,  be  presented.  Now,  as  the  Speaker 
is  bound  to  know  the  law  of  the  House,  and,  as  we  conceive, 


this  eminent  Irishman,  who  finally 
held  high  posts  in  the  Government, 
will  be  found  during  the  years  that 
immediately  preceded  Emancipation. 
Born  1772;  died  1849. 

5  The  Catholic  claims. 

6  By  a  letter  of  January  12  fol- 
lowing it  appears  that  Grattan  ad- 
vised further  postponement,  while 
Lords  Grey  and  Ponsonby,  Sir  John 
Newport,  Sir  H.  Parnell,  and  others 
were  in  favour  of  pressing  the  ques- 
tion.    During  the  following  year  the 
Government  saw  with  some   alarm 


the  progress  made  by  the  Catholic 
Question  under  the  organising  arm 
of  O'Connell.  They  did  not  hesitate 
even  to  bribe  one,  if  not  more,  of 
his  colleagues  at  the  Board.  Sir 
Arthur  Wellesley,  writing  to  Dublin 
Castle  from  London  on  November 
17,  1808,  says  :  '  I  think  that,  as 
there  are  some  interesting  Catholic 
questions  afloat  just  now,  you  might 

feed with  another  £100.'     (See 

Civil  Correspondence  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington  [Ireland,  1807-9]. 
London  :  John  Murray,  1860,  p.  485.) 


16        CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  i. 

to  communicate  it  to  any  of  the  members,  we  are  anxious 
in  our  request  to  you  to  ascertain  the  matter  as  speedily  as 
may  suit  your  convenience. 

As  soon  as  Lord  Fingal  comes  to  town  we  shall  hold 
our  first  general  meeting,  and  there  certainly  shall  be  a 
petition  presented  early  in  the  session. 

Allow  me  to  take  this  opportunity  of  assuring  you  that 
among  your  constituents,  none  can  be  found  who  could 
subscribe  himself  with  more  sincere  respect  and  zeal, 
Your  faithful  Servant, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Connell  O'Connell  was  a  handsome  southern  solicitor, 
known  to  the  Limerick  lasses  by  the  sobriquet  '  Look  and 
Die.'  He  gave  briefs  to  the  promising  barrister,  continued 
his  staunch  friend  through  life,  and  in  the  duel  with 
D'Esterre  stood  by  his  side. 

To  Connell  O'Connell. 

Maryborough  :  14th  January,  1809. 

My  dear  Connell, — After  I  wrote  in  an  angry  mood  my 
note  about  the  instructions  for  the  declarations  I  found  them 
where  I  did  not  look  for  them — locked  up  carefully,  and 
then  I  received  your  affectionate  letter. 

My  object  now  is  not  to  indulge  my  feelings  as  to  the 
return  I  would  make  if  I  could  for  your  valuable  friendship. 
I  may  use  the  word '  valuable '  in  a  mercantile  sense,  but  you 
know  I  employ  it  in  a  kindlier  one.  It  has  been  the  strange 
colour  of  my  life  to  have  been  of  eminent  use  to  many 
persons  from  some  of  whom  I  never  received  the  gratitude 
of  an  acknowledgement — from  others  I  have  learned  the 
inestimable  benefit  of  mutual  friendship — but  you  are  the 
only  being  from  whom  I  have  received  gratuitous — I  may 
call  it — kindness ;  because  to  you  alone  have  I  been  able  to 
make  no  other  return  than  the  barren  declarations  of  zeal 
and  anxiety  to  be  useful.  I  am  thus  pouring  out  to  you  the 
effusions  of  my  heart,  whilst  I  should  return  to  my  subject. 
It  is  to  beg  of  you  to  suffer  me  to  mention  to  Dan  your  real 


1809-10  BEPEAL   OF   THE    UNION  17 

disorder  .  .  .  Take  perfect  care  of  yourself — command  my 
little  mare  as  if  she  were  altogether  your  own,  and  of  all 
things  avoid  cold  ...  I  will  indeed  be  happy  to  bear  the 
good  news  you  promise  me,  but  first  and  of  all  things  take 
care  of  your  health.  I  am  proud  that  so  many  people  love 
you  as  well  as 

Your  most  affectionate 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

In  1800  O'Connell  opposed  the  Union,  and  the  day-dream  of 
his  life  was  its  repeal.  This  was  sternly  demanded  in  1810 
by  the  Dublin  Corporation,  then  held  by  ultra-Tories ;  and 
O'Connell  hailed  with  joy  the  probable  junction  of  Orange 
and  Green.  At  a  public  meeting  he  declared  that,  were  the 
Premier  '  to  offer  me  to-morrow  the  repeal  of  the  Union 
upon  the  terms  of  re-enacting  the  entire  Penal  Code,  I 
declare  it  from  my  heart,  and  in  the  presence  of  my  God, 
that  I  would  most  cheerfully  embrace  his  offer.' 

Among  the  letters  that  passed  between  O'Connell  and 
the  Corporators  was  the  following,  addressed  to  the  High 
Sheriff,  Sir  James  Eiddall : — 

Limerick  :  7th  January,  1810. 

Dear  Sir, — Business,  which  has  brought  me  from  Dublin 
since  I  accepted  your  kind  invitation  for  Friday  next,  prevents 
me  from  returning  to  town  until  after  that  day.  I  am  thus 
deprived  of  the  pleasure  of  waiting  on  you,  which  I  very 
sincerely  regret,  not  only  from  the  respect  I  bear  you  per- 
sonally, but  because  I  entertain  a  very  strong  and,  I  will 
add,  a  very  grateful  sense  of  that  patriotic  zeal  which  insti- 
gates you  to  bring  together  your  countrymen  of  every  per- 
suasion upon  every  occasion  in  your  power.  Believe  me,  I 
should  feel  sincere  pleasure  in  any  efforts  of  mine,  however 
humble,  to  co-operate  in  the  desirable  result  of  combining 
all  classes  in  mutual  affection  and  in  the  common  defence  of 
our  common  country. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


VOL.  I. 


°l 


18        CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  i. 


To  his  Wife. 
Limerick :  Wednesday,  20th  March,  1811. 

My  own  Love, —  ...  I  am  impatient  to  hear  whether 
you  have  come  to  any  determination  as  to  the  new  study.7 
It  certainly  will  very  much  contribute  to  your  comforts,  and 
though  you  will  not  believe  it,  darling,  yet  it  would  really 
give  me  pleasure  to  make  you  feel  comfortable.  Besides, 
until  you  have  a  sitting  parlour,  it  is  quite  impossible  that 
you  should  be  able  to  have  your  drawing-rooms  in  anything 
like  neat  and  perfect  order. 

I  shall  write  to 8  as  you  desire,  but  indeed,  indeed, 

heart,  I  could  wish  that  you  would  be  more  peremptory 
with  him.  One  effort  would  reduce  him  to  perpetual  obe- 
dience. You  might  punish  him  by  confining  him  to  the 
nursery,  or  excluding  him  from  your  dinner-table,  or  in 
any  other  manner  of  that  kind,  but  you  ought  not  to  suffer 
him  to  impose  on  you. 

Your  most  tenderly  fond 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Merrion  Square  :  Monday  [January  1812] . 

My  dear  Sir, — I  cannot  defer  acknowledging  the  deep  ob- 
ligation which  you  have  laid  on  me  and  on  the  Catholic  body 
at  large  by  our  exertions  on  Saturday.  The  conduct  of  the 
Attorney-General  [Saurin]  will,  I  hope,  remain  distinctly  in 
your  recollection.  It  Was  certainly  unprecedented,  as  no 
Law  officer  ever  before  postponed  information  on  the  subject 
of  Treason.9  I  am  delighted  that  you  pressed,  and,  in  fact, 

Theatre,  Dublin,  replied:  'Why, 
my  Lord,  this  is  a  direct  accusation 
of  High  Treason,  and  he  who  would 
assert  it  of  me,  I  would  brand  with 
the  foulest  epithets.  I  defy  the 
slightest  proof  to  be  given  of  its 
veracity.'  Mr.  Pole's  allusion  to  a 
treasonable  element  in  the  Catholic 
Committee  is  explained  by  his  private 
letter,  from  the  archives  of  the  Home 
Office,  cited  in  the  Appendix. 


7  O'Connell  had  just  removed  to 
No.  30  Merrion  Square   South,  the 
house  now  occupied  by  Dr.  Kidd. 

8  One  of  his  sons,  then  aged  seven 
years. 

9  Mr.  Pole  declared  in  Parliament 
that  '  if  gentlemen  would  read  the 
debates  of  the  [Catholic]  Committee, 
they  would  find   separation  openly 
and        distinctly        recommended.' 
O'Connell,  on  February  29,  1812,  at 
a    meeting    in    Fishamble     Street 


1812  HIS   OWN  DEAR  MARY  19 

extorted  an  interview  for  us.      It  is,  I  think,  exactly  the 
best  thing  that  has  occurred  in  our  cause. 

We  saw  him  and  Mr.  Pole  to-day.  He — the  Attorney- 
General — made  an  awkward  apology  for  the  delay.  We 
stated  our  facts — gave  him  names  and  dates — were  met  with 
great  politeness,  and  left  those  gentlemen — being  ourselves 
quite  satisfied  that  the  thing  has  been  managed  for  us,  and 
by  us,  as  it  ought.  We  have  certainly  done  our  duty.  Will 
the  administrators  do  theirs?  I  hope  we  may  find  the 
connecting  link  of  the  chain. 

Yours  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Ms  Wife. 

Ennis  :  5th  March,  1812. 

My  dearest  Mary, — I  was  a  little  impertinent  in  my 
letter  of  yesterday,  and  the  reason  was  because  I  found 
myself  decidedly  in  more  business  than  any  other  individual 
here ;  and  so,  heart,  I  avenged  myself  upon  you,  which  was 
poor  spite.  I,  however,  now  forgive  you,  darling,  because 
you  promise  me  so  faithfully  to  take  care  of  yourself  and 
grow  fat  in  my  absence. 

Seriously,  love,  I  am  quite  in  a  temper  to  indulge  vanity, 
but  in  nothing  more  so  than  in  you  and  my  sweet,  sweet 
babes.  Darling,  you  have  no  idea  of  the  time  I  take  in 
thinking  of  you  and  them,  and  in  doating  upon  both.  Kiss 
them  a  thousand  times  for  their  father,  and  tell  them  that 
he  will  not  be  happy  until  he  has  his  three  little  girls  on 
his  knees,  and  his  three  boys  looking  at  him  there. 

The  business  here  is  over — compleatly  over.1  I  was 
concerned  in  every  record,  not  left  out  of  one,  and  I  was 
the  only  counsel  so  circumstanced.  I  am  apt  to  think  I 
shall  not  be  able  to  leave  this  to-morrow.  Between  chamber 
business  and  a  Popish  Aggregate,2  it  is  likely  that  I  shall  be 
detained  till  Saturday,  but  on  that  I  mean  to  write  to  you 
from  Limerick. 

1  The  Clare  Assizes. 

2  A  public  meeting  for  the  redress  of  Catholic  grievances. 

c  2 


20        COEEESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  i. 

Will  you  take  care  and  keep  Cobbett3  for  me  safely.  If 
you  entrust  this  commission  to  anybody  else,  you  may 
depend  on  it  that  some  of  the  numbers  will  be  missed. 
Call  on  Mr.  Hay,4  love,  and  tell  him  from  me  that  the 
members  of  the  board  in  this  county  are  very  anxious  to 
get  copies  of  the  petition  in  order  to  proceed  for  signa- 
tures.— Believe  me,  darling  love,  with  the  sincerest  affec- 
tion, 

Your  tender  and  doatingly  fond 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Tell  each  and  every  of  my  babes  how  I  love  them.  Ask 
John  if  he  ever  intends  to  get  a  tooth. 

To  his  Wife. 

Limerick  :  7th  August,  1813. 

My  darling  Heart, — Your  letter  and  Charles'  account  of 
you  give  me  fresh  life  and  spirits,  but  I  thought  you  would 
have  written  to  me  again,  heart's  treasure,  and  I  felt  lonely 
and  disappointed  at  not  hearing  from  you  by  this  day's 
post.  Upon  consideration  I  have  blamed  myself  for  it, 
because  I  ought  to  have  written  to  you  every  day,  but  I 
will  do  so  in  future,  my  sweetheart  Love,  and  you  must 
follow  my  example.  Do,  then,  my  own  Mary,  let  me  have 
the  happiness  to  hear  that  you  are  thoroughly  well.  Take 
the  kindliest  care  of  my  Kate,  and,  better  still,  more  care  of 
yourself  for  my  own  darling  love.  The  business  has  become 
excessive  upon  this  circuit — mine  is  increasing  almost  beyond 
endurance — but  I  never  was  in  such  good  health,  and  have 
no  anxiety  but  what  relates  'to  my  own  dearest,  dearest 
darling.  I  wish  to  God  you  knew  how  fervently  I  doat  on 
you.  Kiss  sweet  saucy  Kate  for  me. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  Irish  Government  had  long  sought  to  sap  the 
strength  of  the  Catholic  Board  by  subsidising  and  corrupt- 
ing certain  popular  orators.  A  bolder  course  was  now  de- 

3  Cobbett's  Register. 

4  Secretary  to  the  Catholic  Board. 


1813  CATHOLIC  DELEGATES  PROSECUTED          21 

termined  upon.  The  Government  commenced  a  campaign 
against  the  Catholic  delegates.  In  1793,  Lord  Clare,  with 
the  object  of  foiling  the  United  Irishmen,  had  succeeded 
in  passing  a  penal  measure  known  as  the  Convention  Act. 
For  eighteen  years  it  had  lain  a  dead  letter,  but  through 
Mr.  Wellesley  Pole,  the  Irish  Secretary,  it  was  now  revived. 
A  Proclamation,  dated  Dublin  Castle,  February  12,  1811, 
required  every  Sheriff  and  Magistrate  throughout  Ireland, 
in  pursuance  of  Lord  Clare's  Act,  to  arrest  all  persons  con- 
nected either  actively  or  passively  in  the  late  elections  for 
members  or  delegates  fco  the  General  Committee  of  the 
Catholics  of  Ireland.  Lord  Fingall  and  several  of  his  col- 
leagues were  placed  under  arrest.5  The  incautious  resolu- 
tion which  entrapped  the  Catholics  had  been  passed  during 
O'Connell's  absence  from  Dublin ;  however,  he  made  the 
best  of  the  matter  by  managing  some  litigation  which  grew 
out  of  it.  Dr.  Sheridan  and  Mr.  Kirwan — two  delegates 
who  had  been  put  upon  their  defence — were  acquitted  by  a 
Dublin  jury ;  but,  in  the  flush  and  vanity  of  an  unexpected 
triumph,  they  embarked  in  a  new  contest  by  proceeding 
against  Chief  Justice  Downes  for  false  arrest.  Judgment 
was  given  against  the  Catholics,  and  delegation  became 
annihilated  from  that  day.  It  was  not  until  1879  that 
Mr.  P.  J.  Smyth  succeeded  in  getting  the  Convention  Act 
repealed. 

To  0' 'Conor  Don. 

4  Capel  Street,6  13th  July,  1813. 

Dear  Sir, — The  legal  protection  which  the  Board  has 
given  to  so  many  individuals  selected  for  prosecution  by  the 
Law  Officers  of  the  Crown,  and  to  so  many  others  suffering 
under  the  violence  of  Orange  persecutions,  has  been  attended 
with  so  much  expense,  that  it  will  be  impossible  to  transmit 
our  present  petitions  without  the  aid  of  every  individual  in 
our  body. 

A  Parochial  subscription  has  been  considered  as  that 
most  likely  to  be  efficacious.  You  are  earnestly  requested 

s  Two  letters  of  the  Lord-Lieu-  and   should   be  read  by  those  who 

tenant,    addressed    to    the     Home  care   to   study  the  history   of   the 

Secretary,  marked  '  Secret  and  Con-  time. 

fidential,'  and  now  first  published,  •     The  office  of  the  Catholic  Corn- 
appear  in  the  Appendix  to  this  work,  mittee. 


22        CORRESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   0' CONN  ELL    CH.  i. 

to  commence  in  your  own  parish,  and  to  extend  the  sub- 
scription to  every  other  parish  within  the  reach  of  your 
influence.  The  committee,  gratefully  acknowledging  the 
payment  of  your  contribution  of  five  guineas  in  pursuance  of 
its  vote,  do  not,  at  present,  call  upon  you  personally  for  any 
further  sum,  but  they  entreat  your  personal  exertions  to 
induce  others  to  follow  your  example. 

The  accounts  of  the  Board  are  kept  with  the  utmost 
accuracy,  and  the  books  are  open  to  all  the  Members  of  the 
Catholic  body. 

I  have  the  honor,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

In  1813,  John  Magee,  proprietor  of  the  Dublin  Evening 
Post,  was  subjected  to  prosecution,  fine,  and  imprisonment 
for  having  published  an  article  reflecting  on  the  Irish 
Government.  The  defence  of  Magee  was  O'Connell's  ablest 
bar  effort.  It  was  a  bold  arraignment  of  the  clique  who  in 
that  day  ruled  in  Dublin  Castle.  Again  Magee  was  taken  from 
his  cell  and  indicted  on  a  new  charge :  that  of  publishing 
in  his  paper  O'Connell's  speech.  If  it  is  important  that  an 
advocate  should  be  true  to  his  client,  so  should  the  client 
be  faithful  to  his  advocate.  Magee  signally  failed  in  this 
respect.  Mr.  Wallace,  K.C.,  on  his  behalf,  called  upon  the 
Court  to  substitute  the  advocate  for  the  defendant,  and 
saddle  on  O'Connell  the  penalties  of  offences  said  to  have 
been  committed  by  Magee.  The  litigation  and  worry  which 
grew  out  of  these  proceedings  would  fill  a  volume  if  detailed. 

To  John  Magee. 

Merrion  Square  :  2nd  May,  1814. 

My  dear  Magee, — I  beg  of  you  to  read  attentively  a 
letter  which  I  have  written  to  your  brother.  I  should  be 
glad  to  know  whether  you  think  that  the  request  I  make  of 
him  is  unreasonable.  It  consists  merely  of  my  entreaty 
that  he  should  distinctly  state  what  he  expects  from  me,  if 
anything,  on  the  supposed  case  of  my  words  having  been 
totally  mistaken  in  the  report  in  question. 

If  I  am  to  judge  from  the  great  reluctance  your  brother 
exhibited  yesterday  to  answer  the  question,  without  an 


1814  THE    TRIAL   OF  JOHN  MAGEE  28 

answer  to  which  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  form  an  estimate 
of  what,  under  existing  circumstances,  I  should  do,  I  much 
fear  that  the  Attorney-General 7  will  succeed  in  one  of  his 
objects — increasing  dissension  amongst  the  few  who  remain 
devoted,  in  intention  and  design  at  least,  to  the  unfortu- 
nate land  of  our  birth.  But  for  my  part  I  am  determined 
not  to  have  to  blame  myself.  I  am  ready  to  do  that  which 
I  think  reasonable.  If  more  be  required  of  me,  is  it  not 
fair  that  I  should  know  what  that  is?  I  do,  therefore, 
entreat  of  you  to  procure  for  me  an  answer  to  the  question 
I  put  to  your  brother.8 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  N.  Purcell  0' Gorman.9 
(Private  and  confidential.)  (No  date.) 

My  dear  Purcell, — I  wish  to  God  I  could  settle  this 
business  of  Magee's.  I  am  anxious  for  it  on  your  account 
and  on  account  of  the  cause.  I  could  get  the  thing  closed 
for  £700,  payable  annually.  And  as  you  being  under  any 
tie  to  pay  it,  arises  from  your  being  a  public  man.  I  think 
your  friends  ought  to  contribute.  If  your  uncle  would  pay 
the  first  £100,  allow  me  to  say  that  I  would  cheerfully  pay 
the  second,  your  brother  may  perhaps  pay  the  third,  and 
then  you  should  be  prepared  with  the  remainder.  I  repeat, 
however,  that  as  a  private  gentleman,  I  do  not  think  you 
bound  to  pay  anything.  But  I  reckon  on  it  that  the  cause 
requires  of  you  to  make  this  payment. 

Excuse  me  if  I  take  a  liberty  with  you  in  making  this 
offer,  but  you  will  easily  appreciate  my  motives,  and  those 
motives  will  probably  serve  to  shew  you  that  I  always  am 
Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

John  O'Connell,  in  a  collection  of  his  father's  speeches 
from  1800  to  1823,  records  that  '  the  year  1814  closed  amid 

7  Mr.  Saurin.  9  A  prominent    member   of  the 

8  James   Magee,  afterwards  ap-       Catholic  Board,  and  afterwards  Sec- 
pointed  a  police  magistrate.  retary  to  the  Catholics  of  Ireland. 


24        COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  i. 


considerable  gloom  as  regards  the  political  prospects  of  the 
Catholics,'  and  that  '  the  autumn  and  winter  were  passed 
in  attending  provincial  meetings  and  half-private  consul- 
tations in  Dublin.'  How  O'Connell  could  smile  through 
his  tears  the  following  shows.  Charles  Phillips,  a  Protes- 
tant barrister,  had  now  nobly  espoused  the  largely  deserted 
Catholic  cause. 

To  his  Wife,  at  Cork. 

Killarney  :  13  Septr.  1814. 

My  darling  Love, — I  am  more  alarmed  than  I  wish  to 
say  about  your  flight  from  Mallow.1  It  was,  I  am  sure,  more 
occasioned  by  your  own  illness  than  by  my  sweet  Nell's 
toothache.  You  will  get,  I  trust,  well  from  the  Cork  air ; 
but  at  all  events  Dublin  is  a  certain  restorative. 

Have  you  seen  or  heard  anything  of  Phillips  ? 2  I  never 
knew  a  man  so  altered  and,  indeed,  so  insane  with  love.  It 
seems  that  the  lady  promised  to  write  to  him  on  Thursday ; 
she  forgot  the  promise,  and  he  was  very  uneasy  that  day. 
Friday  came  and  no  letter ;  Saturday,  no  letter ;  Sunday 
also  without  a  letter !  And  off  he  set  on  Monday  morning 
in  the  day  coach.  I  never  saw  anybody  so  dull  and  stupid, 
nor  have  I  seen  so  much  agony  as  he  exhibited  as  he  was 
daily  disappointed  of  a  letter.  He  has  suffered  a  great 
deal,  and  has,  as  you  may  imagine,  not  a  little  disappointed 
public  expectation  here. 

The  meeting  took  place  this  morning.  John  was  in  the 
chair,  Lord  Kenmare  having  been  obliged  to  go  off  to 
see  his  sister,  who  had  met  with  an  accident  near  Cork. 
The  meeting  was  the  most  numerous  and  respectable 
that  ever  met  in  Kerry.  I  hope  you  will  be  satisfied  with 
our  resolutions.  I  was  the  only  orator;  I  spoke  very 
badly. 

With  kindest  love  to  my  sweet  darlings, 

Ever  your  fondest 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


1  A  then    popular    spa   in    the 
County  Cork. 

2  Charles    Phillips,    author    of 


Curran  and  his  Cotemporaries,  not 
the  least  amusing  portion  of  which 
is  his  account  of  Daniel  O'Connell. 


1814  DELEGATION  DESTROYED  25 

Delegation  as  an  engine  of  political  strength  was  now 
destroyed,  but  O'Connell  continued  to  keep  the  flame  of 
agitation  legally  alive  by  holding  meetings  for  the  purpose 
of  preparing  petitions  to  Parliament.  Traces  of  these 
efforts  are  found  in  his  correspondence  with  0' Conor 
Don. 

To  O'Conor  Don. 

Merrion  Square  :  14th  Novr.  1814. 

My  dear  Friend, — It  is  intended  to  have  a  meeting  held 
at  No.  4  in  Capel  Street  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of 
Saturday,  the  26th  instant.  The  gentlemen  who  purpose 
meeting  on  that  day  have  many  of  them  differed  as  to  the 
manner  of  conducting  our  petitions,  but  they  mutually 
acknowledge  and  respect  the  purity  of  intention  of  those 
who  entertained  different  opinions,  and  all  agree  in  the 
propriety,  nay,  the  necessity,  of  combining  the  efforts  of  all 
the  petitioners  to  the  furtherance  of  our  great  object — free- 
dom of  conscience. 

It  is  intended  to  meet  on  that  day  merely  as  individuals, 
and  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  individual  opinions,  so  as 
to  shape  all  further  proceedings  in  the  mode  most  likely  to 
deserve  and  insure  unanimity. 

Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  let  me  know  whether  we  may 
expect  you  at  this  meeting  ?  Much,  very  much,  may  be 
done  if  we  restore  unanimity  and,  to  use  a  vulgar  phrase, 
pull  together.3  Everybody  regards  and  respects  you,  and 
if  you  were  here  I  think  you  could  contribute  largely  to 
bring  together  every  honest  Irishman,  of  whom  there  are 
in  truth  more  than  our  friends  think  or  our  enemies  suspect. 

To  Lord  Fingall. 

[1814.] 

My  Lord, — I  had  the  honor  of  receiving  this  morning 
your  letter  of  yesterday,  and  feel  very  much  indebted  to 
the  politeness  of  your  Lordship's  attention  to  my  circular. 

I  am  sorry  you  augur  so  ill  of  the  meeting  of  Saturday 

3  The  Veto  controversy  (vide  pp.  50,  72,  infra)  threatened  to  divide  the 
Catholics  this  year. 


26        COBBESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  I. 

as  to  believe  that  the  mode  of  proceeding  about  to  be  adopted 
is  not  the  most  likely  to  promote  unanimity ; 4  that  is  at 
present  matter  of  prophecy,  in  which  I  hope  your  Lordship 
will  have  the  pleasure  of  finding  yourself  mistaken ;  but,  at 
all  events,  I  am  quite  sure,  my  Lord,  that  if  you  were  pleased 
to  point  out,  either  by  letter  or  personally,  any  mode  likely 
to  attain  that  great  object,  unanimity,  any  suggestion  coming 
from  you  must  be  received  with  all  the  deference  due  to  a 
person  having  so  many  personal  and  hereditary  claims  on 
Catholic  confidence. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


The  value  of  O'Connell's  patriotic  activity  was  enhanced 
by  the  fact  that  all  this  time  his  professional  practice  left 
him  few  moments  that  he  could  call  his  own.  I  owe  to  his 
grandson,  Daniel  O'Connell,  Esq.,  D.L.,  an  early  memoran- 
dum of  '  receipts '  which  he  has  found  at  Darrynane.  It 
ends  with  1814.  After  that  date  O'Connell's  business  in- 
creased so  much  that  it  was  impossible  to  keep  an  account 
of  it. 

Beceipts. 


£ 

s. 

d. 

From  May  19,  1798,  to  Jan.  1,  1801     .                        331 

0 

3 

„     Jan.     1,  1801 

1802     . 

255 

18 

9 

1802 

1803     . 

346 

18 

9 

1803 

1804     . 

465 

5 

9 

1804 

1805     . 

715 

9 

9 

1805 

1806     . 

840 

14 

0 

1806 

1807     . 

1077 

4 

3 

,       1807 

1808     . 

1713 

1 

6 

Besides  my  fee,  as  assessor    to  the   Sher 

iff  o 

Kerry  in  May,  1807,  at  the  election,  of 

150Z 

from  each  candidate,  being     . 

450 

0 

0 

From  Jan.  1,  1808,  to  Jan.  1,  1809     . 

2198 

15 

6 

Besides  fee  as  assessor  to  Sheriff  of  Clare 

400 

0 

0 

From  Jan.  1,  1809,  to  Jan.  1,  1810     . 

2736 

16 

6 

„       1810           „         1811     . 

2951 

16 

3 

„       1811           „         1812     . 

3047 

7 

3 

„           „       1812           „         1813     . 

3028 

0 

6 

(N.B.  —  I  lost  the  Cork  Spring  Assizes.) 

„     Jan.  1,  1813,  to  Jan.  1,  1814   .        .        .    3808 

7 

0 

4  See  Pagan's  O'Connell  (i. 
161-2)  for  an  account  of  the  contrite 
atonement  offered  to  O'Connell  by 
Lord  Fingall  shortly  before  his 


death,  '  for  not  having  always  sup- 
ported him  as  I  now  feel  he  should 
have  been  supported.' 


1815  DUEL   WITH  D'ESTEEBE  27 

The  year  1815  witnessed  a  very  remarkable  incident  in 
the  life  of  O'Connell— his  duel  with  Mr.  D'Esterre.  The 
former,  speaking  at  a  Catholic  meeting  in  January,  said  : 
'  I  am  convinced  that  the  Catholic  cause  has  suffered  by 
neglect  of  discussion.  Had  the  Petition  been  last  year  the 
subject  of  debate,  we  should  not  now  see  the  beggarly  cor- 
poration of  Dublin  anticipating  our  efforts  by  a  Petition  of 
an  opposite  tendency.  The  Duke  of  Sussex  in  the  Lords, 
and  Mr.  Whitbread  in  the  Commons,  appear  to  me  persons 
worthy  to  be  entrusted  with  our  petition.' 

The  Dublin  Corporation  was  at  that  day  an  Orange 
stronghold,  and  D'Esterre,  who  represented  at  its  Council 
the  Guild  of  Merchants,  sought  to  resent  O'Connell's  words. 
He  was  a  brave,  wiry  man,  who  had  served  in  the  British 
Navy5 — one  well  skilled  in  dealing  death  with  cutlass  or 
musket ;  and  it  is  told  of  him  that  during  the  Mutiny  at  the 
Nore  he  refused  to  fraternise,  though  a  rope  was  put  round 
his  neck  as  a  threat.  The  scene  now  shifts  to  Dublin, 
where  D'Esterre  is  found  following  the  trade  of  a  provision 
merchant  and  contractor ;  but  reverses  had  overtaken  his 
house,  and  in  1815  he  was  all  but  bankrupt.  It  has  been 
often  stated  that  some  Orange  zealots  egged  him  on  with 
the  object  of  putting  O'Connell  out  of  the  way,  but  I  can 
find  no  reliable  authority  for  this  statement.  However,  it 
is  notorious  that  men  like  Thorpe,  who  had  already  opposed 
O'Connell,  obtained  the  grateful  tribute  of  lucrative  posts, 
and,  further,  were  presented  with  the  freedom  of  the  Cor- 
poration. This  at  least  is  quite  possible,  that  D'Esterre, 
finding  ruin  staring  him  in  the  face,  harboured  the  desperate 
design  of  cutting  his  way  to  fortune  by  means  of  a  quarrel 
with  O'Connell.  His  letter  seems  to  resent,  on  behalf  of 
the  Corporation,  the  word  '  beggarly,'  but  it  cannot  be 
doubted  that,  though  not  avowed,  he  felt  it  almost  as  a 
personal  taunt. 

Mr.  D'Esterre  to  Daniel  O'Connell. 

11  Bachelors'  Walk  [Dublin] :  26th  January,  1815. 

Sir, — Carrick's  paper  of  the  23rd  instant  (in  its  report 
of  the  Debates  of  a  meeting  of  Catholic  Gentlemen,  on  the 
subject  of  a  Petition)  states  that  you  have  applied  the 

5  So  Fagan  states.   The  impression  of  O'Connell's  son  is  that  D'Esterre 
had  been  in  the  Eoyal  Marines. 


28        COEEESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  i. 

appellation  of  beggarly  to  the  Corporation  of  this  City, 
calling  it  a  beggarly  Corporation ;  and  therefore,  as  a  mem- 
ber of  that  body,  and  feeling  how  painful  such  is,  I  beg 
leave  to  enquire  whether  you  really  used  or  expressed  your- 
self in  any  such  language?  I  feel  the  more  justified  in 
calling  on  you  on  this  occasion  as  such  language  was  not 
warranted  or  provoked  by  anything  on  the  part  of  the 
Corporation ;  neither  was  it  consistent  with  the  subject  of 
your  Debate,  or  the  deportment  of  the  other  Catholic 
Gentlemen  who  were  present ;  and  though  I  view  it  so  in- 
consistent in  every  respect,  I  am  in  hopes  the  Editor  is 
under  error,  and  not  you.  I  have  further  to  request  your 
reply  in  the  course  of  the  evening,  and  remain,  Sir,  your 
obedient  Servant, 

J.    N.    D'ESTERRE. 

O'Connell  to  Mr.  D'Esterre. 

Merrion  Square  :  January  27th,  1815. 

Sir, — In  reply  to  your  letter  of  yesterday,  and  without 
either  admitting  or  disclaiming  the  expression  respecting 
the  Corporation  of  Dublin  in  the  print  to  which  you  allude, 
I  deem  it  right  to  inform  you  that,  from  the  calumnious 
manner  in  which  the  religion  and  character  of  the  Catholics 
of  Ireland  are  treated  in  that  body,  no  terms  attributed 
to  me,  however  reproachful,  can  exceed  the  contemptuous 
feelings  I  entertain  for  that  body  in  its  corporate  capacity  ; 
although  doubtless  it  contains  many  valuable  persons,  whose 
conduct  as  individuals  (I  lament)  must  necessarily  be  con- 
founded in  the  acts  of  a  general  body.  I  have  only  to  add 
that  this  letter  must  close  our  correspondence  on  this  subject. 

I  am,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Mr.,  afterwards  Sir  James,  O'Connell,  Bart., 
to  Mr.  D'Esterre. 

Merrion  Square  :  Friday  evening. 

Sir, — From  the  tenor  of  your  letter  of  yesterday,  my 
brother  did  not  expect  that  your  next  communication  would 


1815  DUEL   WITH  D'ESTERRE  29 

have  been  made  in  writing.  He  directed  me  to  open  his 
letters  in  his  absence.  Your  last  letter,  bearing  a  different 
address  from  the  former  one,  was  opened  by  me ;  but  upon 
perceiving  the  name  subscribed  I  have  declined  to  read  it, 
and  by  his  directions  I  return  it  to  you  enclosed  and  unread. 
I  am,  Sir,  your  obedient  Servant, 

JAMES  O'CONNELL. 

On  Sunday  a  letter  reached  James  O'Connell  from 
D'Esterre  containing  observations  calculated  to  provoke  a 
breach  of  the  peace ;  and  James  at  once  sent  his  friend 
Captain  O'Mullane  to  say  that  when  the  affair  with  Daniel 
was  adjusted  he  would  bring  D'Esterre  to  account  for  his 
conduct  to  himself. 

To  N.  Purcell  O'Gorman. 

Saturday  [January  28,  1815]. 

My  dear  Purcell, — This  is  perhaps  the  only  moment 
when  you  could  be  of  singular  use  to  me,  and  it  happens 
unluckily  that  you  are  out.  I  implore  of  you  to  send  me 
word  on  your  return  when  I  could  see  you. 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

[Endorsed  '  Haste.']  DANIEL   O'CoNNELL. 

O'Connell,  in  a  later  letter  to  his  fast  friend  Bichard 
Newton  Bennett,  tells  him  that,  although  MacNamara  and 
O'Gorman  would  be  on  the  field,  he  was  determined  that 
the  duel  should  not  go  on  unless  in  Bennett's  presence. 
Bennett  gave  ready  help  and  even  drew  up  a  programme. 
Further,  he  possessed  a  pair  of  duelling  pistols  that  had 
belonged  to  his  uncle,  and  one  of  which  had  shot  Captain 
Pounden  through  the  head. 

To  Richard  Newton  Bennett. 

Tuesday. 

My  dear  Bennett, — Your  general  notion  is  exact — the 
detail  perhaps  long.  The  Euffian  appeared  in  the  Hall 6  for 
a  moment  with  a  whip.  The  instant  I  heard  of  it  I  left  the 
King's  Bench  and  he  disappeared.  He  paraded  the  quay 

8  The  Hall  of  the  Four  Court?. 


30        CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL    O'CONNELL    CH.  i 


with  his  whip.  Eichard  O'Gorman  met  him — asked  him 
did  he  want  me — for  that  I  told  him  I  would  fight  him 
(D'Esterre)  in  three  minutes  whenever  he  chose  ;  that  he  had 
but  to  send  me  a  message  and  that  he  should  instantly  be 
met.  D'Esterre  said  the  message  ought  to  come  from  me, 
at  which  O'Gorman  laughed.  The  fellow  then  took  post  at 
Brian  Diebson's,  in  College  Green.  I  came  here  with  my 
friend  Major  MacNamara,  but  the  delinquent  had  fled.  His 
companions  there,  before  I  came  up,  were  young  Saurin,7 
Sir  Eichard  Musgrave,8  and  Abraham  Bradley  King,9  the 
Alderman. 

The  crowd  accumulated  so  fast  that  I  took  refuge  in 
Exchequer  Street,  where  Judge  Day  followed  me  and  bound 
me  to  keep  the  Peace  on  my  Honour.  Was  there  ever  such 
a  scene  ? 

Yours  ever, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  ipsissima  verba  which  passed  between  O'Gorman 
and  D'Esterre  were  not  communicated  to  O'Connell.  Mr.  S. 
O'Gorman,  J.P.,  nephew  of  the  former,  informs  me  that 
when  D'Esterre  vowed  that  he  would  horsewhip  O'Connell, 
Gorman  said :  '  He  is  a  large  man,  you  are  a  small  one,  and 
he  may  destroy  you.  Call  him  out.'  '  The  man  is  a 
poltroon,  and  will  never  fight,'  replied  D'Esterre.  O'Gorman 
said  :  '  I'll  undertake  to  have  O'Connell  on  the  ground,  and 
if  he  fails  to  fight,  I'll  take  his  place.' 

When  Judge  Day  said  that  he  would  be  satisfied  if  he 
had  the  guarantee  of  O'Connell's  honour  to  proceed  no  fur- 
ther in  the  business,  the  reply  he  received  was  :  '  It  is 
not  my  duty  as  a  duellist  to  be  the  aggressor.  I  therefore 
pledge  my  honor  that  I  shall  not  be  the  aggressor.  Further, 
however,  I  must  tell  you,  no  human  consideration  will  induce 
me  to  go.' 

An  extraordinary  amount  of  publicity  and  delay  attended 
this  quarrel.  The  journals  of  the  day  record  that  between 


7  Son   of  the  Orange  Attorney- 
General. 

8  A  zealous  supporter  of  Orange 
ascendancy. 

9  Ditto.      But  how  Sir  Abraham 
became   O'Connell's   most    grateful 


servant  in  the  end  affords  a  curious 
episode.  (See  letter  of  July  19, 1832, 
infra.) 

James  O'Connell  complained  that 
one  of  D'Esterre's  bodyguard  sought 
to  sting  him  by  sneering  gestures. 


1815  DUEL   WITH  D'ESTERRE  31 

O'Connell's  house  in  Merrion  Square  and  the  Courts  he  was, 
for  near  a  week,  pursued  by  D'Esterre,  whip  in  hand  ;  and 
that  crowds  filled  the  streets  anxious  to  see  how  O'Connell 
would  make  his  way  to  his  place  of  vocation  ;  and  that  the 
Castle  Chamberlain,  Sir  Charles  Vernon,  took  up  position  in 
a  spot  from  which  he  could  command  a  good  view  of  the 
expected  collision. 

The  '  friend '  retained  by  D'Esterre  was  Sir  Edward  Stan- 
ley. At  last  it  was  arranged  that  the  parties  should  meet  at 
Bishopscourt,  near  Naas — not  in  the  Phoenix  Park,  as  Father 
Tom  Burke  states  in  his  '  Lecture  on  the  Irish  People.' 
Major  MacNamara,  O'Connell's  second,  was,  like  Bennett,  a 
Protestant ;  the  only  Catholic  non-relative  who  accompanied 
O'Connell  was  Purcell  O'Gorman.1  Alderman  Smyth  was 
on  the  ground,  and  the  impression  of  his  son  is  that  all  the 
Corporation  were  present.  '  The  Orange  adherents  of 
D'Esterre  seemed  to  think  that  there  would  be  a  pitched 
battle,  for  my  father  counted  no  less  than  thirty-six  pairs  of 
pistols  among  them,'  observes  O'Gorman's  son,  addressing 
the  present  writer.  O'Connell  was  perfectly  cool,  and 
recognising  in  the  crowd  Jerry  MacCarthy,  a  kinsman, 
exclaimed,  'Ah,  Jerry,  I  never  missed  you  yet  from  an 
aggregate  meeting.'  MacNamara  remarked  to  Sir  Edward 
Stanley  that,  as  the  duellists  had  no  personal  quarrel  or  any 
private  animosity,  he  presumed  all  parties  would  be  satisfied 
when  each  gentleman  discharged  one  pistol.  Sir  Edward's 
reply  was  that  if  they  fired  twenty  shots  D'Esterre  would 
never  leave  the  ground  until  O'Connell  made  an  apology. 
'Well,  then,'  exclaimed  the  Major  with  an  oath,  '  if  blood  be 
your  object,  blood  you  shall  have.'  While  Bennett  loaded 
O'Connell's  pistols  MacNamara  prepared  for  action  with  the 
coolest  generalship.  Lest  D'Esterre' s  eye  should  be  at- 
tracted in  its  aim  by  any  conspicuous  object  in  his  adversary, 
he  removed  a  large  bunch  of  seals  which  hung  from  O'Con- 
nell's  fob  and  substituted  a  black  stock  for  his  white  cravat. 
He  proceeded  to  give  a  number  of  directions  to  O'Connell, 

1  O'Connell  mentioned  to  O'Neill  gave  the  chaise  a  sudden  turn  which 

Daunt,  as  a  good  joke,  that  Baron  nearly  capsized  it.     '  These  fellows 

Power,  when  going  to  commit  suicide  have  no   regard  for   a   man's  life,' 

by   drowning,  carried   an   umbrella  said  Dan,  grasping  his  brother's  arm 

because  the  day  was  wet.    But  some-  to   save    himself   from    concussion, 

thing  almost  as  inconsistent  occurred  James  thought  the   speech   absurd 

when  '  Dan  '  and  his  brother  James  for  a   man   going  into  the  jaws   of 

were  hurrying  in  a  postchaise  to  the  death. — Communicated   by   Morgan 

scene   of  the   duel.      The  postilion  O'Connell,  Esq. 


32        CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  i. 


who,  interrupting  him,  said,  with  much  solemnity :  '  I  have 
one  earnest  request  to  make  of  you.'  MacNamara  bent 
anxiously  to  hear  his  friend's  last  message.  O'Connell 
paused.  '  What  is  it,  my  dear  fellow  ? '  asked  MacNamara. 
'  Let  me  beg  of  you,'  said  O'Connell,  '  not  to  say  another 

word  to  me until  the  duel  is  over.'  Meanwhile  D'Esterre 

most  foolishly  excited  himself  by  making  a  speech,  in 
which  he  disclaimed  all  hostility  to  members  of  the  Eoman 
Catholic  persuasion.  He  fired  first  and  missed  :  O'Connell's 
shot  followed  and  took  effect  below  D'Esterre's  hip.  Surgeon 
Peile  was  immediately  by  his  side,  found  that  the  ball  had 
traversed  the  hip  and  passed  through  the  bladder,  but  all 
attempts  to  find  it  failed.  A  false  report  reached  Dublin 
that  O'Connell  had  fallen,  and  a  party  of  dragoons  were 
despatched  to  protect  D'Esterre  from  popular  violence. 
They  cantered  into  Bishopscourt  while  D'Esterre,  in  a  dying 
state,  was  being  removed  from  the  field.  O'Connell's 
anguish  was  great  on  realising  the  tragic  issue  of  the 
business.  He  declared  that  his  object  in  aiming  low  was 
lest  he  should  wound  D'Esterre  in  a  mortal  part.  The  un- 
fortunate man  lingered  for  two  days,  and  with  his  last  breath 
confessed  that  O'Connell  was  blameless  in  the  matter. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that,  had  the  victor  been  killed  or 
wounded,  many  duels  would  have  been  the  consequence, 
with  possibly  serious  riots.  How  he  escaped  was  a  marvel. 
Dr.  Brennan,  in  a  contemporary  portrait,  thus  describes 
him  :— 

The  counsellor's  tall  and  he's  big  to  be  sure, 
As  in  Kerry  they'd  say  he's  the  full  of  the  door. 

Lord  Whitworth 2  was  now  closing,  as  Lord-Lieutenant 
of  Ireland,  a  long  diplomatic  career  begun  in  Poland.  The 
Sentinel,  an  independent  Dublin  journal,  addressed  a  series 
of  letters  to  him,  stating  that  the  most  memorable  event 
which  occurred  in  his  Viceroyalty  was  this  duel.  It  had 


2  During  the  Whitworth  Vice- 
royalty  efforts  were  made,  by  finesse 
and  force,  to  crush  Catholic  agita- 
tion. In  April  1814,  Quarantotti's 
Eescript  was  obtained,  giving  the 
Crown  a  veto  in  the  appointment  of 
bishops.  On  June  3,  1814,  was  ful- 
minated Lord  Whitworth's  Pro- 
clamation suppressing  the  Catholic 
Board  as  an  '  assembly  which  pre- 


tended to  prepare  petitions  to  Parlia- 
ment on  behalf  of  the  Catholics  of 
Ireland,'  declaring  that  it  '  would 
only  tend  to  serve  the  ends  of  fac- 
tious and  seditious  persons,'  and 
forewarning  that  '  all  continuing  to 
act  as  members  of  the  same  would 
be  proceeded  against  according  to 
law.' 


1815  EFFECT   ON  O'CONNELL  33 

engrossed  the  attention  of  Ireland,  and  ought  to  engross 
that  of  Parliament  also.  Everyone  asked  why  the  outrage 
which  led  to  the  catastrophe  being  so  public  and  protracted 
had  not  been  restrained  by  some  one  of  the  many  members 
of  his  Government  who  had  observed  it.  But  vainly  the 
friends  of  peace  inquired  why  D'Esterre  had  not  been  placed 
under  arrest.3 

The  ground  was  white  with  snow  and  the  oil  lamps 
dimly  burning  when  O'Connell  and  his  brother  returned  in 
solemn  silence  to  Dublin.  At  last  Daniel  broke  it.  He 
told  James  to  go  to  Archbishop  Murray  and  say  how  deeply 
he  deplored  the  occurrence ;  and  in  the  next  place  to  retain 
Richard  Pennefather  for  his  defence.  The  need  for  this 
proceeding  was,  however,  obviated  by  the  following  letter  :— 

Sir  Edward  Stanley  to  O'Connell. 

Eoyal  Barracks  :  4th  February,  1815. 

Sir, — Lest  your  professional  avocations  should  be  inter- 
rupted by  an  apprehension  of  any  proceeding  being  in  con- 
templation in  consequence  of  the  late  melancholy  event,  I 
have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  there  is  not  the  most 
distant  intention  of  any  prosecution  whatever,  on  the  part 
of  the  family  or  friends  of  the  late  Mr.  D'Esterre, 
Your  obedient  humble  Servant, 

EDWAED  STANLEY. 

O'Connell  to  Sir  Edward  Stanley. 

Merrion  Square  :  5th  February,  1815. 

Sir, — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  letter  of  yesterday,  and  I  beg  of  you  to  accept  my  sin- 
cere thanks  for  your  very  polite  and  considerate  attention. 
It  is  to  me  a  mournful  consolation  to  meet  such  generous 
sentiments  from  those  who  must  be  afflicted  at  the  late  un- 
happy event.  But,  believe  me,  my  regret  at  that  event  is 
most  sincere  and  unaffected,  and  if  I  know  my  own  heart,  I 
can  with  the  strictest  truth  assert,  that  no  person  can  feel 

3  Mr.  Peel,  the  Irish  Secretary,  writer's  that  his  father  had  arranged 

challenged    O'Connell   some    weeks  to   use  Lord    Whitworth's    pistols, 

after  this  event,  and  the  present  Sir  Lord  Whitworth  died  in  1825,  and 

Eobert   Peel   told  a  friend  of    the  his  peerage  has  long  been  extinct. 

VOL.  I.  D 


34       COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CON  NELL     CH.  i. 


for  the  loss  society  has  sustained  in  the  death  of  Mr. 
D'Esterre  with  more  deep  and  lasting  sorrow  than  I  do. 
Allow  me  again  to  thank  you,  sir,  for  the  courtesy  of  your 
letter — a  courtesy  quite  consistent  with  the  gentlemanly 
demeanour  of  your  entire  conduct  in  this  melancholy 
transaction.  I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  surviving  members  of  O'Connell's  family  say  that 
the  remembrance  of  this  tragedy  embittered  his  existence, 
interweaving  itself  with  every  joy,  and  only  mitigated  by 
the  consolations  yielded  by  religion. 

O'Connell  offered  to  secure  a  handsome  annuity  for 
D'Esterre's  widow — or  rather,  '  to  share,'  as  he  himself 
observed,  'his  income  with  her.'  This  Mrs.  D'Esterre 
declined.  But  he  prevailed  upon  a  daughter  of  the  deceased 
to  accept  an  annuity,  which  was  regularly  paid  until 
O'Connell's  death.  When  proceeding  to  Court,  it  often 
suited  his  convenience  to  go  by  the  Bachelors'  Walk,  and  it 
was  observed  that  in  passing  D'Esterre's  house  he  would 
raise  his  hat  and  move  his  lips  in  silent  prayer.  Some 
years  after,  O'Connell,  to  his  great  delight,  found  himself 
in  a  position  to  render  great  service  to  Mrs.  D'Esterre.  A 
letter  came  to  him  from  Father  England,  stating  that  the 
plaintiff  in  a  case  about  to  be  tried  at  the  Cork  Assizes  was 
no  other  than  D'Esterre's  widow,  and  that  a  favourable 
issue  was  of  paramount  importance  to  her  and  her  children. 
O'Connell  at  that  juncture  held  briefs  in  Dublin  of  very 
considerable  importance,  but  he  threw  them  up,  returned 
the  heavy  retaining  fees,  and  posting  down  to  Cork,  pleaded 
her  cause  and  won  the  verdict.4 


4  Perhaps  an  incident  or  two  in 
connection  with  the  duel  may  be 
mentioned  here.  The  first  comes 
from  Mr.  Baker,  F.E.C.S.I.  Surgeon 
Peile,  who  hurried  to  Bishopscourt 
for  the  purpose  of  affording  pro- 
fessional assistance  to  D'Esterre  if 
required,  is  described  in  the  Direc- 
tory of  the  day  as  '  Dep.  Inspector- 
General  to  the  Forces.'  He  gener- 
ally travelled  in  a  showy  carriage 
with  a  rich  hammer -cloth,  and  at- 
tended by  footmen.  He  kept  ap- 
prentices, as  was  usual  at  that  day, 
and  one  chancing  to  hear  from  the 
coachman  that  'the  master  had 


ordered  his  carriage  to  attend  the 
duel,'  conceived  a  strong  desire  to 
be  present,  and  privately  arranged 
that  he  should  wear  the  dress  of  a 
footman  and  go.  He  did  so,  and  in 
after  years  often  referred  to  the  ad- 
venture. By  a  decree  of  the  Council 
of  Trent  all  principals  in  duels  or 
parties  thereto  are  excommunicated. 
Father  O'Mullane,  an  eccentric  priest, 
at  war  with  his  bishop,  and,  of  course, 
under  censure,  repaired  also  to 
Bishopscourt,  and  remained  in  an 
adjacent  cabin,  prepared  to  give 
absolution  in  articulo  mortis  to 
O'Connell. 


35 


CHAPTEE   II. 

Orattan  becomes  a  Vetoist — Mr.  Tierney,  Sir  H.  Parnell,  Mr.  Plunket — 
Mr.  Addington — Philip  Whitfield  Harvey — Lord  Hutchinson — O'Con- 
nell's  Affair  of  Honour  with  Peel — The  '  Second  '  challenged  by  Peel — 
A  Footpad  shot  dead— O'Connell  arrested  in  London — A  Duel  ends  in  a 
Dance — A '  Castle  Bishop  ' — O'Connell's  domestic  Character  vindicated 
by  his  Wife — Death  of  Curran — Lord  Fingall — O'Connell  in  Difficulties 
— O'Conor  Don — '  Honest  Ned  Hay ' — The  Duke  of  Leinster — '  Jack 
Gifford  ' — The  Dog  in  Office — '  Now  or  Never  '  is  the  time  to  strike  for 
Emancipation — Charges  against  the  Secretary  to  the  Catholic  Board— 
O'Connell  and  Grattan  reconciled — Visit  of  George  IV.  to  Ireland — O'Con- 
nell sends  his  Son  to  fight  under  Bolivar — -Lord  Cloncurry — 'The 
Agitator  '  appointed  Attorney-General  to  the  Queen — Catholic  Eelief 
Bill  of  1821 — Shell's  Sycophancy — Lord  Donoughmore — O'Connell's  Cap. 

SOME  Crown  lawyers  had  proposed  that  the  Protestant 
King  should  exercise  a  veto  in  the  appointment  of  Catholic 
Bishops.  It  surprised  and  disappointed  O'Connell  to  find 
that  Grattan,  the  old  and  warm  friend  of  Catholic  Emanci- 
pation, had  now  begun  to  favour  securities  of  this  sort. 
'  Would  to  God,'  said  O'Connell,  '  that  I  could  revive  in  the 
mind  of  Mr.  Grattan  his  former  feelings  for  the  Catholics 
of  Ireland — that  I  could  rouse  him  to  that  energy  with 
which  he  once  advocated  our  cause  !  What  securities  had 
he  ever  spoken  of  in  the  Irish  Parliament — where  were  his 
alarms  in  1793  ?  What  was  in  the  English  air  to  alter  the 
mental  vision,  so  that  it  should  see  gorgons,  and  hydras,  and 
chimeras  dire,  where  before  it  saw  nothing  but  the  pleasant 
prospect  of  unity,  strength,  and  social  security  ?  ' 

These  words  gave  offence.  In  April,  1815,  Grattan 
declined  to  take  charge  of  the  Petition  of  the  Catholics  of 
Ireland  for  Emancipation.  O'Connell  asked  the  Knight  of 
Kerry  to  allow  him  to  commit  it  to  his  care.  The  latter 
readily  assented,  and,  conjointly  with  Sir  H.  Parnell,  did 
good  work  in  the  cause  of  Civil  and  Keligious  Freedom. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Merrion  Square  :  15  May,  1815. 

My  dear  Sir, — Will  you  allow  me  to  entreat  your  kind 
attention  to  the  support  of  Sir  Henry  Parnell  at  the  present 

D   2 


36       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  n. 

most  interesting  period  ?  It  is  easy  to  see  that,  except  from 
you  and  some  few  others  who  are  attached  to  the  principle 
of  Keligious  Freedom,  we  can  expect  no  cordiality  of  co-opera- 
tion. The  hackneyed  part  of  the  opposition,  led  by  Mr. 
Tierney,  seem  disposed  to  take  him  in  flank,  whilst  he  is  met 
by  Abbot  and  Banks  in  front,  and  harassed  in  the  rear  by 
that  most  ridiculous  of  all  possible  casuists,  Cox  Hippisley. 
Add  to  these  the  confident  assertion  of  Mr.  Plunket  that  the 
Petition  does  not  speak  the  sense  of  the  Catholics  of  Ireland. 
I  am  greatly  astonished  at  Mr.  Plunket.  He  cannot  but 
know  that  the  fact  is  otherwise,  and  little  as  I  am  disposed 
to  respect  the  entire  of  his  political  life,  I  did  not  imagine 
he  was  so  destitute  of  that  feeling  which  should  place  him  so 
far  beyond  any  deviation  from  truth  as  to  allow  him  thus 
to  assert.  With  respect  to  Kerry,  you  cannot,  with  your 
decisive  evidence  to  contradict  that  gentleman.  You  will 
find  to  the  Petition  the  name  of  every  Catholic  of  property 
in  the  county — the  Galweys  and  D.  Mahony,  who  hold  places, 
and  Hussey,  who  wishes  for  at  least  one,  only  excepted. 

It  is,  perhaps,  a  most  imperative  duty  to  contradict 
Mr.  Plunket  upon  this  point.  As  Emancipation  of  some 
sort  is  probably  not  very  distant — with  restrictions,  besides 
being  wrong  in  principle — it  would  be  useless  in  effect 
without  restrictions — it  would  tend  to  make  Ireland  what 
Scotland  is — as  Ireland  is  what  Scotland  was — an  im- 
poverished and  discontented  people.  If  they  enact  re- 
strictions, the  effect  will  be  worse  than  the  present  state 
of  affairs.  The  Crown  Priests  will  be  despised  and  deserted 
by  the  people,  who  will  be  amply  supplied  with  enthusiastic 
anti-anglican  friars  from  the  Continent.  There  is  a  ten- 
dency already  to  substitute  friars  for  any  Priests  who  are 
supposed  to  favour  the  Veto.  It  is  very  marked  in  Dublin 
already,  and  they  know  little  of  Ireland  who  suppose  that 
they  could  abolish  friars  by  Law.  There  really  is  but  one 
resource — to  bestow  a  generous  Emancipation  that  would  at 
once  take  the  people  out  of  the  hands  of  us  agitators  and 
of  every  species  of  enthusiasts,  and  by  destroying  the  cause 
of  excitement  terminate  the  fever  in  the  public  mind. 


1815  PROGRESS   TO  EMANCIPATION  87 

Dr.  Addington  l  and  his  medical  school  may  recommend 
bleeding  and  boiling  water,  but  the  patient  is  already  too 
strong  for  these  remedies. 

I  have  written  an  inexcuseably  long  letter  to  Sir  H. 
Parnell,  and  am  half  disposed  to  bestow  my  tediousness 
equally  on  you.  Will  you  pardon  me  for  doing  so,  and  for 
again — I  am  sure  unnecessarily — hoping  your  attention  to 
assist  Sir  Henry,  and  to  protect  him  and  us  from  our  friend 
Mr.  Plunket  ?  It  would  amuse  me  very  much  to  have  an 
opportunity  of  reasoning  with  that  acute  and  very  sagacious 
personage. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  following  letter  has  been  found  in  MS.  without  any 
explanation  other  than  that  afforded  by  internal  evidence. 
Mr.  Staunton  conducted  the  Freeman's  Journal  for  its 
owner,  Philip  Whitfield  Harvey,  from  1813.  This  journal 
had  been  subsidised  by  the  Crown  previous  to  that  date. 

To  Michael  Staunton. 

Merrion  Square  :  9th  June,  1815. 

Sir, — I  have  little  leisure  for  letter-writing  at  this 
period  of  the  term,  but  my  answer  to  your  letter  shall  be 
explicit.  I  am  wholly  unconscious  of  any  claims  Mr. 
Harvey,  the  proprietor  of  the  Freeman's  Journal,  can  have 
on  me.  It  seems  he  has  published  from  the  Cork  Chronicle 
a  report  of  a  speech  attributed  to  me,  and  this  without  any 
interference  or  encouragement  on  my  part,  without  any 
connection  subsisting  between  us  or  other  inducement  save 
those  which  I  presume  usually  regulate  the  Proprietor  of  a 
newspaper.  It  would  be  strange  indeed  if  such  a  Proprietor, 
governed  solely  by  views  of  emolument — as  far  as  I  can 
perceive — should  be  deemed  entitled  to  turn  round  upon 

1  Henry  Addington,  better  known  meetings,  and  the  Cato  Street  con- 
as  Lord  Sidmouth,  was  the  son  of  a  spiracy  gave  him  a  good  deal  to  do. 
general  medical  practitioner,  and  With  characteristic  energy  he  op- 
filled  the  post  of  Home  Secretary  posed  and  overcame  them.  Born 
during  the  Liverpool  Administration.  1757,  died  1844. 
The  Spa-Fields,  the  Manchester 


88       COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  n, 

the  Individual  without  any  previous  intercourse,  and  to 
exact  from  him  an  indemnity  against  what  is  called  the 
Law  of  libel  as  administered  by  the  Law  officers  in  Ireland. 

But  this  claim  must  appear  the  more  strange  and  its 
object  mysterious,  after  the  Proprietor  has  deliberately  pro- 
claimed in  his  paper  that  the  article  in  question  is  a  heinous 
libel,  and  after  he  has  thus  not  only  bespoke  a  conviction 
for  himself,  but  gratuitously  criminated  other  persons. 

Indeed,  what  can  be  the  serious  objects  of  a  trial  under 
those  circumstances  ?  To  talk  of  a  trial  after  so  complaisant 
a  plea  of  '  guilty '  would  be  but  a  mockery.  He  has  thrown 
himself  on  the  mercy  of  an  Attorney-General,  and  as  far 
as  in  him  lay  implicated  and  prejudged  the  remaining 
objects  of  vengeance. 

There  may  possibly  be  ulterior  objects  of  a  trial,  but 
surely  Mr.  Harvey's  defence  ceases  to  be  one. 

Of  the  conversation  you  allude  to  my  recollection  is 
wholly  different  from  the  statement  in  your  letter,  so  is 
that  of  Mr.  Phillips,  who  was  present.  I  did  more  than 
once  express  my  regret  for  the  apprehension  you  felt  for 
the  probable  loss  of  your  situation  under  Mr.  Harvey. 
And  certainly  I  was  perfectly  willing  to  do  my  utmost 
towards  compensating  you  personally  for  any  pecuniary 
inconvenience  arising  from  the  publication  of  a  speech 
which  you  conceived  to  be  mine.  This  was  a  leading 
object  in  my  mind  at  the  time.  I  apprehend  that  the 
error  into  which  you  have  fallen  proceeds  from  your  mis- 
taking this  sentiment  towards  you  for  a  sense  of  obligation 
towards  the  Proprietor.  But  I  have  never  felt  or  avowed 
any  such  obligation.  There  was  no  room  for  it  between 
Mr.  Harvey  and  me. 

If  he  seriously  conceives  himself  to  have  any  well- 
founded  claim  on  me,  let  him  bring  it  forward  distinctly 
and  in  person,  and  if  in  the  judgment  of  any  impartial 
Gentleman  of  honor  acquainted  with  the  facts  it  shall  be 
deemed  a  well-founded  claim  in  Jionor  or  justice,  it  shall  be 
yielded  to.  I  make  this  offer  as  my  final  answer,  and  you 
will  allow  me,  in  conclusion,  to  express  my  hope  and  wish 


1815  LORD  HUTCHINSON  89 

that  any  future  communication  on  this  subject  may  proceed 
from  him  alone. 

I  am,  Sir,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL.2 

To  Nicholas  Mahon.3 

Limerick  :  19th  March,  1815. 

My  dear  Friend, — You  have  at  the  other  side  a  letter  to 
Lord  Hutchinson,  the  best  I  can  compose.  Alter  it  as  you 
please  and  put  my  name  to  it.  I  have  not  as  yet  heard 
from  Ponsonby,4  but  I  expect  to  be  able  to  give  you  satis- 
factory information  from  him  before  the  close  of  the  week* 
The  truth  is  that  the  late  news  has,  I  believe,  postponed 
all  communication. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

(ENCLOSUEE.) 

March,  1815. 

My  Lord, — We  are  quite  convinced  that  your  Lordship 
will  at  least  excuse  the  liberty  we  take  in  addressing  you 
on  a  subject  mightily  interesting  to  us,  as  you  cannot  mis- 
take the  motives  which  induce  us  to  address  you ;  they  are 
easily  to  be  found  in  the  entire  and  unlimited  confidence 
which  we,  in  common  with  all  the  other  Catholics  of  Ireland, 
place  in  your  hereditary  attachment  to  religious  liberty,  and 
in  that  high  and  ever  untarnished  honour  which  has  dis- 
tinguished every  member  of  your  noble  house. 

We  have  been  appointed  by  the  Catholic  Association  to 
procure  our  Petition  to  the  Commons  to  be  presented  by 
a  member  of  that  House  who  concurs  with  the  Earl  of 
Donoughmore,  and  with  us  in  the  propriety  of  a  discussion, 

2  Staunton  replied,  and  O'Con-  became    good    friends,  as  will    be 

nell,  in  a  second  letter,  said  :  '  Your  Been. 

statement  of  facts  is  so  very  wide  of  3  A  prominent  member  of  the 
my  conception  of  them  that,  as  I  Catholic  Board,  and  almost  a  mil- 
have  neither  leisure  nor  inclination  liouaire. 

for  polemics,  I  must  assert  my  right  '  The  Eight  Hon.  George  Pon- 

to   close   the   correspondence    with  sonby,   a  patriotic   member  of  the 

this    letter.'     In    after   years   they  late  Irish  Parliament. 


40        COREESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  n. 

on  our  claims,  during  the  present  session.  We  feel  the 
great  importance  to  our  cause  of  entrusting  our  Petition  to 
the  member  between  whom  and  the  Earl  of  Donoughmore 
a  cordial  communion  of  sentiments  and  co-operation  of  ar- 
rangements may  be  expected.  We,  however,  feel  a  delicacy 
in  applying  to  that  noble  Lord  on  this  subject, '  but  the 
causes  of  that  delicacy  not  applying  to  your  Lordship,  we 
take  the  liberty  of  requesting  your  advice  and  assistance 
upon  this  occasion.  We  entreat  the  honour  of  a  reply 
addressed  under  cover  to  Nicholas  Mahon,  Merchants' 
Quay,  Dublin.  That  reply,  as  well  as  the  contents  of  this 
letter,  shall  ever  remain  under  the  seal  of  confidential  and 
inviolable  secrecy.5 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Mr.,  afterwards  Sir  Eobert,  Peel,  who  was  destined  to 
play  an  important  part  as  Prime  Minister,  rilled  at  this 
time  the  post  of  Chief  Secretary  for  Ireland.  His  sympa- 
thies were  so  openly  given  to  the  Party  of  Ascendancy  that 
some  folk  gave  him  the  sobriquet  of  'Orange-Peel.'  The 
E.  I.  Constabulary  Force  is  due  to  his  energy,  and  the  people, 
to  mark  their  sense  of  this  effort  to  keep  them  quiet, 
nicknamed  the  police  '  Peelers.'  At  a  meeting  of  Roman 
Catholics  in  August,  1815,  O'Connell  said :  '  All  I  shall  say  of 
him  (Mr.  Peel)  by  way  of  parenthesis  is,  that  I  am  told  he 
has,  in  my  absence,  and  in  a  place  where  he  was  privileged 
from  any  account,  grossly  traduced  me.  I  said,  at  the  last 
meeting,  in  presence  of  the  note-takers  of  the  police,  who 
are  paid  by  him,  that  he  was  too  prudent  to  attack  me  in 
my  presence.  I  see  the  same  police-informers  here  now ; 
and  I  authorise  them  carefully  to  report  these  my  words, 
that  Mr.  Peel  would  not  dare,  in  my  presence,  or  in  any 
place  where  he  was  liable  to  personal  account,  use  a  single 
expression  derogatory  to  my  interest  or  my  honour.1 

This  passage  caught  Peel's  eye,  and  he  at  once  sent  Sir 
Charles  Saxton  to  demand  an  explanation.  Some  delay 
in  the  pending  arrangements  occurred,  and  Saxton  then 
published  a  statement  in  the  papers. 

5  Major-General  Hutchinson  re-       died  1832.    He  succeeded  his  brother 
ceived  his  peerage  for  having  driven      as  Earl  of  Donoughmore  in  1825. 
the  French  from  Egypt.     Born  1757, 


1815  AFFAIR   OF  HONOUR   WITH  PEEL  41 

To  the  Editor  of  '  Carriers  Post.' 

Merrion  Square :  Sept.  3rd,  1815. 

Sir, — The  very  novel  and  extraordinary  course  pursued 
by  Mr.  Peel  and  Sir  Charles  Saxton  having  terminated  in 
a  newspaper  publication,  I  beg  of  you  to  publish  the 
enclosed,  which  I  received  from  my  friend  Mr.  Lidwill. 

The  dexterity  of  my  adversary  in  publishing  on  Satur- 
day evening  has  given  him  what  I  suppose  he  estimates 
highly — one  day's  talking  at  me.  This  paltry  trick  he 
resorts  to ;  and  yet  he  declares  that  he  '  feels  anxious  for 
an  early  statement  of  a  transaction '  which  occurred  two 
days  before  !  ! ! 

The  conversation  between  Sir  Charles  Saxton  and  me  is 
very  inaccurately  stated  by  that  gentleman  in  the  Corre- 
spondent. I  will  only  notice  two  particulars:  first,  his 
omitting  to  mention  that  on  my  expressing  my  own 
opinion  on  the  fitness  of  my  sending  to  Mr.  Peel,  I  added, 
'  any  friend  would  disappoint  my  hopes  and  wishes  who 
should  advise  me  not  to  call  on  Mr.  Peel ; '  and  secondly, 
his  inserting  the  last  reply  which  he  has  attributed  to  him- 
self— not  one  word  of  which  did  he  utter  in  my  presence. 

For  the  rest,  I  leave  the  case  to  the  Irish  public.  I 
have  disavowed  nothing;  I  have  refused  the  gentleman 
nothing.  I  have  only  to  regret  that  they  have  ultimately 
preferred  a  paper  war.  I  am,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Dublin  Castle  :  Sept.  4,  1815,  six  o'clock. 

Sir, — Having  seen  in  a  newspaper  of  this  evening  a 
letter  bearing  your  signature,  connected  with  a  communica- 
tion which  I  have  recently  made  to  you,  imputing  to  me  '  a 
paltry  trick,'  and  concluding  with  the  expression  of  your 
regret  that  I  had  'ultimately  preferred  a  paper  war,'  I  have 
to  request  that  you  will  appoint  a  friend  who  may  make 
with  Colonel  Brown,  the  bearer  of  this  letter,  such  arrange- 
ments as  the  case  requires.  I  am,  Sir,  &c., 

ROBERT  PEEL. 

Daniel  O'Connell,  Esq.  . 


42       COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  n. 

George  Lidwill,  a  Protestant,  proffered  his  services  as 
1  second '  to  O'Connell.  Several  letters  having  passed, 
Lidwill  wrote  urging  O'Connell  to  have  '  horses  ready  for 
an  immediate  meeting  in  a  field  near  Celbridge.' 

To  George  Lidwill. 

Harcourt  Street:  Friday. 

My  dear  Friend, — Do  just  as  you  please.  I  only  think 
the  County  of  Kildare  ought  to  be  the  place.  I  care  not 
where  there.  Everything  will  be  ready  expeditiously.  My 
family  would  be  less  alarmed  if  we  postpone  it  till  morning ; 
but  do  just  as  you  please.  I  will  remain  here. 

Yours, 

D.  O'CONNELL. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry,  M.P. 
(Private.)  Merrion  Square :  Monday  evening  [September,  1815]. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  want  a  friend  most  sadly  and  venture 
to  think  of  you.  Mr.  Lidwill  cannot  assist  me,  for  he  is 
himself  involved  with  Sir  Charles  Saxton.6  My  affair  is,  as 
you  may  imagine,  with  Mr.  Peel.  He  has  just  sent  me  a 
well-written  challenge  from  the  Castle,  and  if  you  would 
allow  me  to  trespass  upon  you,  I  would  wait  on  you  as  early 
as  you  pleased  in  the  morning  and  explain  to  you  how  the 
matter  stands.  A  Colonel  Browne  is  the  person  who  has 
called  on  me  from  him.  His  address  is  Stephen's  Green 
North. 

Should  you  have  any  difficulty  or  delicacy  in  granting 
me  this  favour — and  there  are  a  thousand  reasons  which 
may  most  properly  prevent  you — let  me  have  a  line  by  the 
bearer  to  say  so.  If  the  contrary,  let  me  know  at  what 
hour  in  the  morning  I  could  see  you.  The  sooner  this 
affair  is  over  the  better. 

I  am,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

8  Lidwill  met  Sir  Charles  Saxton  at  Calais,  received  his  fire,  and  then 
discharged  his  own  pistol  in  the  air. 


1815  ARREST   OF  O'CONNELL  43 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Tuesday. 

I  wish  to  see  you  to  express  my  sincere  gratitude  for 
your  kindness,  and  to  take  your  friend's  advice  on  my 
present  most  unfortunate  predicament.  The  triumph  of 
those  who  will  now  traduce  me  ought  to  be  but  short- 
lived. However,  I  must  say  that  I  am  very  awkwardly  cir- 
cumstanced, and  require  more  than  ever  your  friendly  aid. 
I  wish  it  may  be  possible  for  me  to  express  to  you  how  truly 
grateful  I  am  for  your  kindness. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Merrion  Square  :  5  Sep.  1815. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  cannot  go  out  in  the  morning — at  least 
before  twelve  o'clock,  and  yet  I  wish  very  much  to  see  you. 
The  very  kind  and  active  interest  which  you  took  in  my 
affair  this  day  will  be  ever  remembered  by  me,  and  induces 
me  to  ask  you  to  favour  me,  if  possible,  with  a  call  in  the 
morning,  or  to  be  at  home  for  me  at  three  in  the  afternoon. 
I  want  not  a  little  to  speak  to  you.7 

I  am,  with  sincere  regard,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

A  letter  from  O'Connell  to  E.  N.  Bennett  is  preserved 
redolent  of  rural  seclusion,  and  suggesting  a  ruse  for  baffling 
the  pursuit  of  men  who  were  evidently  on  the  watch  for  him. 

I  find  another  addressed  to  his  Wife,  telling  her  to  send 
him  some  things,  but  without  entering  into  any  explanation. 
The  seconds  finally  arranged  that  Peel  and  O'Connell  should 
proceed  to  the  Continent  and  there  fight.  O'Connell  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  London  without  detection,  but  he  was  at 
last  secured — not  in  bed  at  his  lodgings,  as  some  chronicles 
say,  but  when  stepping  into  a  chaise  for  Dover. 

The  following  letter  is  addressed  to  his  brother-in-law, 
James  Connor.  This  gentleman  had  conformed  to  the 
Protestant  Church  so  as  to  qualify  to  become  an  attorney ; 

7  These  letters,  besides  being  in-  notes  made  by  Mr.  Justice  Keogh, 

teresting,  are  important,  as  placing  that  Peel,  after  attacking  O'Connell 

in  its  true  light  the  affair  with  Peel.  in  Parliament,  sent  a  message  im- 

In  Croker's  Memoirs,  it  is  erroneously  plying  his  readiness  to  accept  a  chal- 

stated,  on  the  authority  of    some  lenge. 


44       COBEESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  n. 


but  he  reared  his  children  Catholics,  and  shortly  before 
his  death  returned  to  the  creed  of  his  fathers.  One  night 
Brennan,  the  noted  highwayman,  stopped  Connor's  chaise 
on  the  Curragh  and  demanded  his  money  or  his  life.  Con- 
nor feigned  to  grope  for  his  pocket-book,  but  producing  a 
pistol  shot  him  dead. 

To  James  Connor,  Attorney,  Tralee. 

Holilands,  Strand,  London :  19  Sept.  1815. 

My  dear  James, — You  will  find  with  this  a  letter  from 
Mary,  and  the  newspapers  will  tell  you  of  the  ludicrous  ter- 
mination of  our  once  serious  affair.  Prepare  Mary  for  my 
letter  before  you  hand  it  to  her.  Lidwill  was  arrested  the 
moment  of  his  arrival  here,  and  I  escaped  until  I  was 
putting  my  foot  into  the  chaise  for  Dover  this  morning. 
After  all,  I  do  not  think  our  enemies  have  the  smallest 
triumph,  nor  is  there  any  reason  for  regret,  as  we  did  all  hi 
our  power  to  give  to  the  gentlemen  a  meeting,  and  that  it 
has  been  prevented  is  altogether  occasioned  by  that  Govern- 
ment of  which  they  are  the  representatives  in  Ireland. 
They,  too,  were  the  challengers,  so  that  any  injury  they  have 
to  complain  of  remains  unredressed.8 

I  will  stay  in   London   this   night  to  refresh  myself, 
and  then  be  back  to  my  family  and  trade  as  speedily  as 
possible.   A  thousand  and  a  thousand  loves  to  all  with  you. 
Your  affectionate  Brother, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife. 

Merrion  Square  :  30th  Sept.  1815. 

My  darling  Heart, — Here  I  am  again,  surrounded  by 
my  babes,  and  thinking  of  my  own  darling,  their  mother. 
Nell 9  is  greatly  improved,  even  in  the  short  space  I  have 


8  O'Connell  was  charged  with 
inconsistency  for  having  maintained 
friendly  relations  with  Peel  during 
the  mission  to  London,  in  1825.  His 
reply,  in  the  Dublin  Evening  Post 
of  November  3rd  following,  admits 
that  friendly  intercouse  did  take 


place,  expresses  regret  for  the  affair 
of  1815,  and  praises  Peel's  later 
policy.  This  letter  has  been  over- 
looked by  the  biographers  of  both. 

9  His  eldest  daughter,  afterwards 
Mrs.  FitzSimon,  a  highly  cultured 
poetess. 


1815  O'CONNELL' S   BETUBN  45 

been  away.  Betsey  and  John  are  delightfully  well  and  most 
excellent  children.  How  the  doats  cling  to  me  ! — and  our 
sweetest  little  Eicarda l  is  just  the  greatest  treasure  in  the 
world.  It  will  cheer  you  to  see  what  a  woman  she  is  grown. 
I  left  London  on  Monday  and  posted  to  Shrewsbury, 
and  travelled  thence  in  the  day-coach  to  Holyhead.  We 
reached  the  Head  on  Thursday  at  one  o'clock,  and  sailed 
at  three.  The  night  came  to  blow  tremendously  and  the 
packet  was  crowded  to  excess.  Not  a  berth  could  be  had 
for  love  or  money.  I  lay  on  the  cabin  floor  as  sick  as  a 
dog,  with  three  gentlemen's  legs  on  my  breast  and  stomach, 
and  the  sea  water  dripping  in  on  my  knees  and  feet.  I  was 
never  so  conipleatly  punished,  and  of  all  the  wretched  nights 
that  we  ever  spent  it  really  was  the  most  miserable.  We, 
however,  got  in  rather  early  yesterday.  I  tumbled  into 
bed  as  soon  as  I  breakfasted,  and  am  as  well  this  day  as 
ever  I  was  in  the  whole  course  of  my  life — so  much  so  that, 
but  for  Bess'  letter,  I  should  have  set  off  to-day  for  Kerry. 
Bess  says  you  will  be  here  on  Tuesday.  Darling,  I  shall 
remain  till  Monday,  and  unless  I  hear  by  that  day's  post  of 
you,  I  will  be  off  for  Tralee  by  the  way  of  Limerick.  Kiss 
my  darling  Kate  for  me,  and  believe  me  beyond  the  power 
of  words  Your  doatingly  fond 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Addressed  '  Mrs.  Counsellor  O'Connell,  Killarney.' 

When  writing  to  James  Connor  he  little  guessed  the 
source  from  whence  the  whisper  of  betrayal  came. 

To  Colonel  Brown. 

Mr.  O'Connell  presents  his  compliments  to  Colonel 
Brown,  and  with  the  utmost  concern  begs  to  inform  him 
that  the  delay  to  which  his  letter  alludes  has  been  caused 
by  a  circumstance  of  the  most  painful  nature — his  having 
been  put  under  arrest  by  the  Sheriff — which  is  still  aggra- 
vated, in  his  feelings,  from  having  been  done  at  the  instance 
of  Mrs.  O'Connell,  who,  agitated  by  the  publications  in 

1  Mrs.  O'ConnelTs  niece,  after-  appears  that  O'Connell  had  a  daugh- 
wards  the  wife  of  Mr.  John  Primrose.  ter  named  Eicarda,  born  in  May, 
From  the  family  Bible,  however,  it  1815,  who  died  young. 


46       CORRESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   0' CONN  ELL     CH.  n. 

the  newspapers,  sent  privately,  and  after  he  had  gone  to 
bed,  to  the  Sheriff.  Mr.  O'Connell  will,  the  first  possible 
moment,  send  a  friend  to  Colonel  Brown,  to  make  such  ar- 
rangements as  the  present  state  of  things  renders  necessary. 

O'Connell,  after  his  arrest,  returned  to  Dublin,  having 
been  bound  in  heavy  recognisances  to  keep  the  peace  every- 
where, and  told  by  Justice  Le  Blanc  that  if  he  and  Peel 
fought  afterwards,  and  either  were  killed,  the  survivor 
would  be  tried  and  assuredly  hanged  for  murder. 

But  Peel  seemed  bent  on  having  blood,  and  Lid  will, 
months  later,  received  the  following  letter  from  him : — 

Calais :  Nov.  29,  1815. 

Sir, — In  one  of  the  Dublin  newspapers  of  the  4th  Sept- 
ember a  letter  was  published  with  your  signature  attached 
to  it,  purporting  to  contain  an  account  of  what  had  occurred 
in  conversation  between  Sir  Charles  Saxton  and  you  upon 
the  subject  of  a  transaction  in  which  I  was  concerned. 

If  you  had  strictly  confined  yourself  to  a  report  of  that 
which  passed  at  your  interviews  with  Sir  Charles  Saxton, 
I  should  not  have  thought  it  necessary  to  address  you ;  but 
you  have  thought  fit  to  make,  in  addition,  some  offensive 
comments  upon  my  conduct,  which  will  be  pointed  out  by 
Colonel  Brown,  the  bearer  of  this  letter,  and  for  which  I 
must  demand  ample  reparation. 

Peel's  bitterness  towards  Lidwill  is  explained  by  the 
fact  that  the  Protestant  Emancipators  of  that  day  were 
more  odious  to  the  Ascendancy  than  the  Catholic  agitators 
themselves.  Cooke  Taylor,  the  biographer  of  Peel,  says  that 
they  were  regarded  as  renegades  to  their  religion,  and  traitors 
to  the  cause  of  their  brethren.  Happily  Peel  and  Lidwill 
never  afterwards  met.  Peel  dreaded  lest  his  father  should 
resent  the  attitude  in  which  he  posed,  and  instructed  Croker 
to  keep  the  affair  out  of  the  Courier,  the  paper  which  the 
old  gentleman  read. 

Daniel  O'Connell  to  his  son  Morgan. 

Merrion  Square  :  19  May,  1815. 

My  dear  Morgan, — Your  mother  and  I  are  greatly 
pleased  at  the  regularity  with  wrhich  Maurice  and  you  write 


1815-16  DOMESTIC  AFFAIRS  47 

to  us,  and  \ve  have  a  notion  that  it  is  a  greater  compliment 
from  you  than  from  Maurice,  because  he  has  at  least  the 
appearance  of  being  more  attentive.  I  am  quite  sure 
that  you,  my  dear  child,  are  as  affectionate  as  he  is,  and 
you  cannot  possibly  take  any  better  method  of  proving  that 
you  are  so  than  by  attending  to  your  improvement. 

John  and  the  girls  are  in  great  spirits  at  finding  that 
you  and  Maurice  consider  yourselves  so  happy  and  com- 
fortable at  College.2  I,  too,  am  myself  very  much  pleased 
at  that  circumstance.  I  will  contrive  to  see  you  both  in  a 
very  few  days  ;  sooner  I  could  not  do  it,  as  the  Courts  have 
continued  to  sit  all  the  latter  part  of  this  week. 

To  his  eon  Maurice. 

Merrion  Square  :  2d  June,  1815. 

My  dearest  "Maurice, — I  have  time  to  write  but  little 
to  you  this  day,  and  would  not  write  at  all  only  that  your 
Mama  has  fixed  on  Sunday  for  christening  your  little  Sister, 
so  that  I  can  not  go  down  to  see  you  until  Sunday  week. 
Your  uncle  Maurice  is  out  for  a  fishing  rod  and  flies  for 
you,  as  I  am  most  happy  to  give  you  and  your  brother  any 
indulgence  which  your  Superiors  in  the  College  think  you 
may  deserve  or  be  permitted  to  have.  I  am  also  very  well 
pleased  that  you  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  shameful  plot 
to  turn  the  professors  into  ridicule.  I  hope  Morgan  kept 
himself  quite  free  of  it  also.  Tell  him  I  will  write  to  him 
shortly,  and  that  his  little  sister  is  as  compleat  a  Fox  as 
he  is. 

Your  tenderly  affectionate  Father, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  son  Morgan. 

Limerick :  6  Aug.  1816. 

My  darling  Morgan, — I  was  greatly  pleased  with  your 
letter.  It  delighted  me  to  find  that  you  were  advanced  in 
your  class.  The  truth  is,  that  if  you  took  it  into  your  red 

2  Morgan  was  at  Clongowes  Wood  College,  county  Kildare,  at  this  time. 


48       COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  n. 

head  you  could  easily  be  head  of  the  class.  I  am  quite 
sure  you  could,  but  a  little  laziness  and  a  little  carelessness 
combine  to  keep  you  "down.  At  all  events  it  is  pleasing  to 
see  that  you  are  rising  in  the  class,  and  makes  me  hope 
you  will  soon  determine  to  be  first  of  it.  Do,  my  sweet 
Morgan,  take  the  trouble  for  one  examination,  and  I  promise 
you  that  you  never  will  think  it  a  trouble  again. 

Did  you  hear  of  the  great  duel  in  Ennis  between  Charles 
O'Connell  and  Mr.  Wall  ?  The  latter  abused  a  relation  of 
Charley's,  a  Mr.  Blood,  and  Charley  knocked  Wall  down. 
They  then  fought,  fired  a  shot  each,  came  home  safe  and 
arm-in-arm  together,  got  tipsy  in  company  with  each  other, 
went  together  to  the  ball  and  danced  till  morning. 

I  am  glad,  very  glad  to  find  that  you  and  Maurice  are 
very  fond  of  your  sweet  little  sisters  and  my  good  John. 
John,  you  must  know,  is  a  most  excellent  boy ;  there  cannot 
be  a  better,  and  sure  you  all  doat  down,  down  on  my  sweet 
little  red  duck.  Upon  you  she  has  a  particular  claim, 
because  she  is  a  sister  of  the  fox  breed,  and  will  be  as  great 
a  rogue  as  possible. 

Give  my  tenderest  love,  my  love  beyond  expression  in 
softness  and  constancy,  to  your  sweet  mother,  the  best  darling 
that  ever  blessed  man  with  delightful  children.  Tell  her 
that  this  is  my  birthday,  and  I  rejoice  in  that  birth  because 
she  has  made  my  life  happy.  Kiss  the  sweet  red  rogue  for 
me.  Then  there  will  be,  I  believe,  two  red  rogues  kiss- 
ing. 

Your  most  affectionate  Father, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

24  Novemb.  1816. 

My  dearest  Morgan, — I  intended  to  have  gone  down  to 
you  on  Thursday,  but,  finding  that  it  will  not  be  in  my 
power  to  see  you  till  next  week,  I  write  lest  you  should  be 
disappointed.  The  fact  is,  my  child,  I  have  too  much 
cause  to  fear  that  I  shall  hear  the  most  melancholy  account 
of  your  poor  grandmother — my  ever  dear  and  beloved 
mother.  I  promise  to  go  down  next  week  and  to  take  Mr. 


1816-17 


THE  BISHOPS  AND    THE    VETO 


49 


Phillips 3  to  see  you.  Tell  my  darling  Maurice  that  I  shall 
bring  down  the  books  he  wishes  for.  If  you  or  he  want 
anything  write  instantly  to  your  mother,  and  she  will  have 
it  carefully  packed  for  me  to  carry. 

Professional  hurry  makes  me  forget  those  things,  but 
your  mother  does  not  love  you  better  or  more  tenderly  than 
I  do.  Let  your  letter  contain  a  distinct  list  of  everything 
you  and  Maurice  want,  and  repeat  again  the  books,  &c., 
he  has  already  written  for,  that  nothing  may  be  forgotten. 

To  Edward  Hay.4 

Limerick  :  27th  July,  1817. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  perceive  '  the  pliant  Trojan  ' 5  has 
got  Dr.  Murray's 6  support  for  the  Veto.  Their  publication 
of  their  letter  to  you  was  intended  to  intimidate  other 
Bishops  from  that  zealous  opposition  to  the  Veto  which 
the  people  look  for,  and  the  times  require.  The  person  I 
am  most  surprised  at  is  you.  Why  did  you  not  instantly ' 
counteract  the  poison,  by  publishing  all  such  replies  as  you 
received  reprobatory  of  the  Veto,  and  favorable  to  Domestic 
Nomination  ? 7  I  presume  you  are  waiting  for  more,  but  as 
the  war  began  at  the  other  side,  you  ought  at  once  to  havp 
published  every  publishable  letter. 

I  conjure  you  to  let  Dr.  Coppinger's  and  Dr.  O'Shaugh- 
nessy's  letters  see  the  day  as  soon  as  possible.8  Discretion 
will  injure,  not  serve  us  on  this  point. 

Pope  by  Napoleon,  Monsignor,  after- 
wards Cardinal,  Quarantotti,  acted  as> 
the  Vicegerent  of  His  Holiness.  In- 
1814  he  addressed  to  Dr.  Poynter, 
B..C.  Bishop  of  the  London  District,  a- 
Bescript  conceding  the  Veto,  where- 
upon Dr.  O'Shaughnessy,  Bishop  of 
Killaloe,  wrote  :  '  The  result  of  this.' 
pernicious  document,  if  acted  upon, 
would  be  fatal  to  the  Catholic  re- 
ligion ;  therefore  I  hasten  to  protest 
against  it,  and  while  I  have  breath' 
in  my  body  will  continue  to  do  so.' 
Dr.  Coppinger,  Bishop  of  Cloyne, 
was  not  less  outspoken.  He  pro- 
nounced '  Mr.  Quarantotti's  decree 
a  very  dangerous  document,'  adding* 


3  The  late  Mr.  Commissioner 
Phillips,  author  of  Curran  and  his 
Contemporaries. 

*  Secretary  to  the  Catholic 
Board. 

5  This  alludes  to  JEneas  Mac- 
Donnell,  who  was  generally  at  is- 
sue with  O'Connell.  But  ..Eneas 
wrestled  with  Achilles.  Dr.  Troy  had 
showed  some  hospitable  attention  to 
MacDonnell,  and  one  evening  Lord 
Norbury  exclaimed  :  '  Behold  pious 
./Eneas  coming  from  the  Sack  of 
Troy ! ' 

8  Archbishop  Murray. 

7  Of  Bishops. 

8  During  the  imprisonment  of  the 

VOL.  I. 


50       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  n. 


I  am,  I  own,  greatly  shocked  at  the  part  Dr.  Murray  is 
taking.9  I  had  the  highest  opinion  of  him,  and  the  greatest 
respect  for  him.  But  I  see  he  wishes,  with  Dr.  Troy's  see, 
to  inherit  the  patronage  of  the  Catholic  Church  of  Ireland. 
Oh !  it  is  melancholy  to  think  of  his  falling  off — he  who 
compared  the  Vetoists  to  Judas.  As  to  Dr.  Troy,  better 
could  not  be  expected  from  him.  His  traffic  at  the  Castle 
is  long  notorious.  But  the  sneer  at  the  Board,  and  the 
suppressed  anger  of  those  prelates,  would  be  ludicrous  if 
the  subject  were  not  too  important  and  vital.  Are  they 
angry  because  we  urge  not  the  name,  but  the  reality  of 
Domestic  Nomination  ?  Alas,  the  fact  is,  that  is  just  the 
cause  of  their  ill  temper  and  the  source  of  their  attack 
upon  us. 

You  cannot  conceive  anything  more  lively  than  the  ab- 
horrence of  these  Vetoistical  plans  amongst  the  people  at 
large.  I  really  think  they  will  go  near  to  desert  all  such 
Clergymen  as  do  not  now  take  an  active  part  on  the  ques- 
tion. The  Methodists  were  never  in  so  fair  a  way  of  making 
•converts.  Publish,  my  dear  friend,  publish.  The  Ennis 
Aggregate l  was  the  most  numerous  ever  known.  Send  me 
by  return  the  Address  of  all  the  Bishops. 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell's  personal  bitterness  as  a  politician  drew  upon 
him  an  amount  of  ill-feeling  rarelv  equalled.  The  voice  of 
scandal  spoke  at  his  expense.  In  prose  and  verse  even  his 
domestic  character  was  impugned,  the  privacy  of  his  home 
invaded,  and  the  happiness  and  purity  of  his  married  life 
denied.  Many  stories  not  deficient  in  humour  became 


4  In  common  with  every  real  friend 
to  the  integrity  of  the  Catholic  re- 
ligion in  Ireland,  I  read  it  with  feel- 
ings of  disgust  and  indignation.' 

8  O'Connell,  in  some  lines  now 
before  me,  and  penned  long  subse- 
quent to  the  date  of  the  above,  records 
hig  high  estimate  of  Dr.  Murray. 
'  A  more  intimate  acquaintance  since 
that  period  has  confirmed  these  sen- 
timents. If  any  man  were  peculiarly 


in 

formed  to  conquer  prejudice  and 
abash  calumny,  that  man  is  Dr. 
Murray.'  This  ecclesiastic,  who 
filled  the  archiepiscopal  see  of  Dublin, 
survived  until  1852.  He  was  assis- 
tant prelate  to  Archbishop  Troy — 
cum  jure  successionis — from  1809  to 
the  death  of  the  latter  in  1823. 

1  Aggregate     meeting     of     the 
Catholics  of  Clare. 


1817  O'CONNELL'S  FAMILY  CIRCLE  51 

current  at  the  time,  and  as  some  of  them  have  been  re- 
vived in  a  recent  compilation,  it  may  be  well  to  show  on 
authentic  evidence  how  untenable  they  are.  Here  is  one 
letter — and  a  hundred  such  could  be  adduced — recording 
Mrs.  O'Connell's  opinion  of  the  man  after  a  conjugal 
experience  of  near  fifteen  years.  Composition  was  not  the 
forte  of  the  little  Kerry  girl,  whom  he  was  all  but  disin- 
herited for  marrying,  but  her  words  have  an  earnestness  all 
their  own. 

Clifton :  July  the  14th,  1817. 

My  own  darling  Dan, — I  assure  you,  my  darling,  you 
are  our  continual  subject.  When  a  kind  husband  or  Father 
is  spoken  of,  Ellen  and  Kate  will  exclaim, '  Mamma,  sure  he 
is  not  so  good  a  husband  or  Father  as  our  Father.'  You 
may  guess,  darling,  what  my  reply  is.  You  know  what 
you  deserve,  and  you  are  aware  that  in  existence  I  don't 
think  there  is  such  a"  Husband  and  Father  as  you  are  and 
always  have  been.  Indeed,  I  think  it  quite  impossible  there 
could,  and  if  the  truest  and  tenderest  affection  can  repay 
you,  believe  me  that  I  feel  and  bear  it  for  you.  In  truth,  my 
own  Dan,  I  am  always  at  a  loss  for  words  to  convey  to  you  how 
I  love  and  doat  of  you.  Many  and  many  a  time  I  exclaim 
to  myself,  '  What  a  happy  creature  am  I ;  how  grateful 
should  I  be  to  Providence  for  bestowing  on  me  such  a 
husband  !  '  And  so,  indeed,  I  am.  We  will,  Love,  shortly 
be  fifteen  years  married,  and  I  can  answer  that  I  never 
have  had  cause  to  repent  it.  I  have,  darling,  experienced  all 
the  happiness  of  the  married  state  without  feeling  any  of 
its  cares,  thanks  to  a  fond  and  indulgent  husband. 

To  Charles  Phillips. 

Bath :  16th  October,  1817. 

My  dear  Charles, — I  got  letters  from  both  the  Currans 
yesterday,  containing  the  melancholy  intelligence  of  their 
father's  death.  I  will  go  up  to  the  funeral  the  moment  I 
hear  from  you  or  them.  William,  in  his  letter,  promises  to 
write  again  this  day.  What  a  man  has  Ireland  lost !  His 
utility,  to  be  sure,  was  in  his  very  latter  days  neutralised  by 

B2 


52       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  n. 

illness  and  absence ;   but  what  a  man  was  lie  !    Of  all — the 
only  incorrupted  and  faithful.  .  .  . 

There  is  a  loneliness  and  heaviness  over  me  when  I 
think  of  this  great  man  whom  we  have  lost.  Charles, 
there  never  was  so  honest  an  Irishman.  His  very  soul  was 
Eepublican  Irish.  Look  to  his  history  in  1778,  in  '82,  in 
1798 — at  the  Union — at  all  times — in  all  places.  Look  to 
it,  my  dear  friend — even  for  your  own  sake,  but,  above  all, 
for  his  :  you  must  erect  a  monument  to  both. 

Write  to  me  the  moment  you  receive  this  letter  and  just 
say  how  long  I  can  remain  here,  and  be  in  full  time  for  the 
funeral.  All  the  Irish  in  London,  of  all  classes,  must  be 
invited.  The  upper  ranks  by  cards — the  lower,  thus : — A 
printed  bill  must  be  sent  to  all  the  public  houses  resorted  to 
by  the  working  Irish,  to  mention  the  hour  when  the  funeral 
will  commence,  and  to  request  that  all  persons  will  fall  in, 
two  by  two,  as  they  arrive,  at  the  remote  end  of  the  proces- 
sion. I  think  it  would  be  as  well  that  all  persons  were  re- 
quired to  wear  a  shamrock.  Perhaps  this  may  be  said  to  be 
too  fantastical ;  but  I  think  it  would  be  well.  On  his  coffin 
should  be  laid  a  broken  harp  and  a  wreath  of  shamrock.  I 
rather  think  there  should  be  a  committee  formed  to  make 
arrangements.  Whether  I  go  to  town  or  not  on  Saturday, 
or  wait  until  Monday,  will  depend  on  young  Curran's  letter 
of  this  date.  It  would  affect  you  to  see  how  sensibly  my 
little  girls  feel  his  death.  There  have  been  some  wet  eyes, 
I  promise  you.  Remember  me  most  kindly  to  both  the 
Currans,  and  believe  me  always, 

Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  remains  of  Curran  obtained  burial  in  Paddington 
Graveyard,  but  in  1839  were  removed  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
Cemetery  at  Glasnevin,  near  Dublin,  where  a  classic  monu- 
ment to  his  memory  has  since  been  raised. 

O'Connell  had  now  become  so  popular  that  I  find  a 
handsome  medal  struck  by  Mossop  to  commemorate  his 
services.  It  bears  a  fine  likeness  of  the  man  of  the  people, 


1817  PECUNIABY  STEAITS  53 

•with  a  wreath  of  oak  leaves  and  shamrock  surrounding  the 
words,  '  Erin  ma  vourneen.' 

To  J.  Charles  Lyons,  Attorney. 

Merrion  Square  :  18th  Dec.  1817. 

My  dear  Friend, — Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  look  at  the 
account  at  the  other  side,  and  if  it  be  correct  send  me  the 
amount  by  the  bearer.  Excuse  me  for  writing  to  you  so 
pressingly,  but  I  know  you  will  readily  accommodate  me, 
if  quite  convenient,  as  I  have  a  very  large  and  unexpected 
payment  to  make  this  day  or  rather  to-morrow.  Do  what 
you  can  for  me  in  that  respect  and  you  will  oblige 
Yours  most  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  account  appended  was  a  long  one — embracing  a 
number  of  items,  from  drafting  an  answer  in  Chancery 
(£3  8s.  3d.)  to  '  Case  directing  plaintiff's  proofs'  (£1  2s.  9d.) 
At  the  foot  of  the  account  O'Connell  marks  it  '  Paid,  and  I 
owe  seven  shillings.' 

The  Earl  of  Fingall,  a  Catholic  peer  of  irreproachable 
character,  possessed  a  patient  and  conciliatory  temperament, 
and  deprecated,  as  injudicious,  the  zeal  of  O'Connell. 

In  1817  the  0 'Conor  Don  addressed  a  private  letter  to 
his  lordship,  in  which,  after  many  other  remarks,  he  said : 
'  Wishing,  as  I  do,  to  see  a  nobleman  I  so  much  esteem  and 
respect  at  our  head,  and  anxious  as  I  am  to  enjoy  the  same 
privileges  with  my  Protestant  neighbours,  and  believing 
that  unanimity  is  necessary,  I  am  sure  you  will  give  me 
credit  for  good  intentions.' 

A  copy  of  this  letter  was  submitted  to  O'Connell,  who 
returned  it  with  the  following  words  : — 

'My  dear  Friend, — I  wish  my  approbation  was  of  any 
value,  for  I  much  approve  of  your  letter.  I  hope  we  will 
not  much  longer  suffer  the  misery  of  being  a  degraded  and 
inferior  class.' 

Preserved  with  the  letters  addressed  to  Connell  O'Connell 
are  a  sheaf  of  original  acceptances,  showing  how  severe 


54        CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  IK 

were  the  early  struggles  through  which  the  future  Liber- 
ator passed.  His  labours  in  organising  the  torpid  Catholics 
involved  him  in  a  heavy  expenditure,  for  which  long  after 
he  was  tardily  reimbursed.  Connell  O'Connell  was  a 
kinsman  of  Dan's  :  their  professional  relations  were  those 
of  attorney  and  counsel. 

To  Connell  O'Connell. 

Merrion  Square  :  18th  May,  1818. 

My  dear  Connell, — Indeed,  indeed  you  annoy  me  very 
very  much.  Did  I  not  tell  you  most  explicitly  that  I  was 
very  grievously  pressed  for  money  this  day  ?  and  surely  if  I 
could  do  without  it  I  would  not  draw  on  you. 

With  respect  to  the  balance  you  mention  it  was  allowed 
you  in  my  computation  of  fees,  for  it  was  I  who  took  up 
the  last  bill  I  drew  upon  you  for  that  purpose,  and  if  you 
had  accepted  the  two  bills  I  drew  on  you  we  should  not  be 
more  than  just  clear.  I  do  conjure  you  to  accept  them  and 
to  send  them  to  me  by  the  bearer.  If  you  wish  to  serve 
and  oblige  me  you  will  do  it — or  give  me  the  £100  in  cash 
and  accept  the  longer  bill  of  the  two.  I  had  reckoned  on 
you  most  confidently,  and  am  sure,  when  you  recollect  the 
pressure  that  is  on  me,  you  will  not  refuse  me.  I  therefore 
again  beg  of  you  to  send  me  at  least  one  of  the  bills  accepted 
and  the  cash,  or  both  bills  accepted.  Pray,  pray  now  da 
not  disappoint  me. 

Yours  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

I  again  repeat  that  it  is  the  actual  want  of  the  money 
makes  me  thus  urge  you.  And  I  again  beg  of  you  to  give 
me  this  lift. 

To  Michael  Staunton,  Esq. 

Killarney  :  24  August,  1818. 

My  dear  Staunton, — You  will  oblige  by  getting  the 
Freeman's  Journal  directed  to  me  for  the  next  month  to 
1  Darrinane,  near  Cahirciveen.' 


1818  THE  DUKE   OF  LEINSTEB  55 

For  God's  sake,  who  is  Milesius  ?  An  admirable  writer 
at  all  events.  I  have  been  and  am  exerting  myself  to  get 
your  paper  into  the  clubs  here.  You  are  now  the  '  longe 
et  facile  primus  '  of  the  Irish  press.  I  think  you  ought  to 
encourage  the  painters  to  join  in  their  petitions  against  the 
window  tax.  If  they  act  separately  they  will  fritter  away 
their  strength.  Besides,  the  little  Parliament  is  of  infinite 
value,  and  will  habituate  the  people  to  form  an  organ  to 
express  the  public  sentiment  on  affairs  of  greater  moment. 

In  the  Cork  Mercantile  Chronicle  of  about  a  week  ago 
there  was  a  little  poem  of  my  son's,  entitled  '  The  Shamrock/ 
I  wish  you  could  give  it  a  corner.  It  is  not  destitute  of 
some  merit, 


To  Mathias  O'Kelly. 

[Water  mark  1818.] 

My  dear  Friend,  —  Enclosed  you  have  the  requisition  for 
a  Catholic  meeting.  I  entreat  of  you  to  get  —  this  day  and 
to-morrow,  and  until  two  o'clock  on  Monday  —  as  many 
signatures  of  respectable  people  as  you  can.  Bring  it  to 
me  to  Court  on  Monday. 

Saturday  morning. 

To  O'Conor  Don.3 

Monday,  27th  August,  1818. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  I  am  organising  a  dinner  in  aid  of 
civil  and  religious  liberty. 

The  Duke  of  Leinster  will  be  in  the  chair.  Lords 
Meath  and  Fingall,  Yice-Presidents.  The  latter  will  be 
asked  by  deputation.  It  will  be  a  grand  and,  I  hope,  a 
useful  affair. 

2  The  poem,  occupying  fifty  lines,  The  matchless  melodies   of  Erin's 
is  devoted  to  praise  of  Moore,  and  lyre. 

begins  :—  It  will  be  remembered  that  O'Connell 

Oh  1    for  the  harp   of   him   whose  regarded    Moore's    Melodies    as    a 

genius  bore  valuable  aid  in  the  effort  to  accom- 

The  Teian  bard  to  Erin's  emerald  plish  Catholic  Emancipation. 

shore,  3  Then  editor  of  the  Freeman's 

Who   linked  in   one    bright    chain  Journal. 

those  lays  of  fire  — 


56       COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  n. 
To  0' Conor  Don. 

2nd  Novr.  1818. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  have  been  all  day  at  Green  Street 
(Court  House)  defending  a  Eaper.  I  have  the  pleasure  to 
tell  you  that  on  Saturday  you  will  find  Lord  Fingall 4  and  his 
friends  at  D'Arcy's.  For  the  sake  of  the  cause  be  here 
on  Friday.  I  have  just  heard  from  a  credible  person  in 
London  that  Emancipation  is  certain.  I  believe  it. — In 

haste, 

Ever  yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  0' Conor  Don. 

Merrion  Square :  21st  Deer.  1818. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  am  just  the  very  worst  letter- writer 
in  the  world,  and  I  cannot  give  a  stronger  proof  of  it  than 
that  I  have  left  the  letters  of,  believe  me,  one  of  the  persons 
in  the  world  for  whom  I  entertain  the  most  sincere  regard 
and  esteem,  so  long  unanswered — and  those  letters  too  on 
a  topic  the  most  interesting.  Pray  excuse  me,  and  if  you 
do  blame  me,  let  it  not  be  on  the  imputation  of  want  of 
those  sentiments  which  would  induce  me  to  shew  the 
very  kindest  and  most  respectful  attention  to  anything  that 
comes  from  you. 

I  entirely  agree  with  you  in  your  present  view  of 
Catholic  affairs.  We  must  do  without  Lord  Fingall,  and, 
in  truth,  I  am  sincerely  sorry  for  it,  because  he  is  an 
excellent  gentleman,  and  personally  as  pure  as  gold,  but 
unhappily  subject  to  some  influence  from  less  clean  quarters. 
No  matter,  we  must  do  without  him.  But  we  must  not 
arraign  his  motives.  I  am  decidedly  for  petitioning.  If 
I  petition  alone,  I  will  petition.  The  question  seems  to 
be  how  that  can  be  done  effectually.  The  [Catholic]  Board 
is  defunct.  Honest  Ned  Hay5  has  outlawed  us  all.  He 
makes  no  distinctions.  There  are  many  debts  due — there 

4  The  head  of  the  Catholic  laity  5  Mr.  Hay  had  filled  the  post  of 

of  Ireland.     D'Arcy's  was  an  hotel       Secretary  to  the  Catholic  Board, 
in  which  they  met. 


1818  TEEACHEEY  IN  THE   CAMP  57 

is  a  great  indisposition  to  organize.  Yet  there  is  not  want- 
ing among  the  people  zeal  and  anxiety.  But  what  is  to  be 
-done  ?  I  am  ready  to  concur  with  you  in  any  plan  you 
think  best.  I  will  join  in  anything  you  choose,  or  set  on 
foot  any  system  as  far  as  I  can  that  strikes  you  as  likely  to 
.succeed.  In  the  meantime  I  have  thrown  together  hastily 
a  letter  to  the  Catholics  of  Ireland.  After  I  have  cooled 
on  my  first  impressions,  I  will  print  it  in  the  Weekly 
Register  of  the  2nd  of  January  and  send  you  a  paper.  I 
mean  to  put  my  name  to  it.  This  should  not,  however, 
suspend  any  plan  you  may  form.  Pray  shew  that  you 
forgive  my  silence  by  answering  this.  Eequesting  my  kind 
regards  to  your  family,  and  wishing  most  sincerely  to  you 
and  them  many  happy  returns  of  the  season, 
I  remain,  faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell  had  already  heard  whispers  of  treachery  in 
the  Catholic  body,  and  was  sensitively  alive  to  any  act 
which  could  be  strained  to  look  ugly.  In  the  Wellington 
Correspondence  a  letter  appears  from  Sir  A.  Wellesley 
to  Lord  Hawkesbury,  dated  January  8,  1808,  and  stating : 

'  The  extracts  of  letters  sent  to  you  by  Lord  Grenville 

were  sent  to  us  by ,  the  Catholic  orator,  two  months 

ago.  The mentioned  is  a  man  who  was  desirous  of 

being  employed  by  Government  as  a  spy ;  and  his  trade 

is  that  of  spy  to  all  parties.  He  offered  himself  to , 

Lord  Fingall,  and  others,  as  well  as  to  us,  and  we  now 
watch  him  closely.' 6 

Who  this  man  is  we  are  not  informed. 

In  November,  1819,  O'Connell  brought  several  charges 
against  the  Secretary  of  the  Catholic  Board,  Mr.  Hay,  one 
of  which  was  that,  without  authority,  he  opened  communica- 
tion in  writing  with  a  Cabinet  Minister.  Carriers  Morning 
Post,  of  December  11, 1819,  contains  a  long  reply  from  Mr. 
Hay,  in  which,  however,  I  do  not  find  any  attempt  to  meet 
this  allegation.7 

6  London,    1860.     Civil    Corre-  must  hope  '  honest,'  though  O'Con- 
spondence,  p.  291.  nell,  in  a  foregoing  letter,  uses  the 

7  Hay  was  a  fussy,  smart,  and,  adjective     ironically.        Hay     had 
at  times,  an  indiscreet  man,  but  one  worked  for  thirty  years  as  secretary 


COLLEGE  DE   MONTREAU 


58        COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  n, 

In  estimating  at  its  due  value  O'Connell's  unpaid 
services  to  the  Catholic  cause,  it  is  well  to  know  that  all 
this  time  his  Bar  business  was  so  great  that  from  morning 
till  night  he  had  no  -leisure  to  break  his  fast.  This  state- 
ment is  not  framed  on  oral  testimony,  which  is  prone  to 
exaggerate.  The  fact  transpires  in  letters  from  his  wife. 
One  dated  '  Dublin,  llth  April,  1817,'  and  written  to  her 
husband  when  attending  the  Cork  Assizes,  goes  on  to  say : — 

Mrs.  O'Connell  to  her  Husband. 

My  dearest  Love, — I  wish  to  God  you  could  contrive  to 
get  out  of  Court  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  during  the  middle 
of  the  day  to  take  a  bowl  of  soup  or  a  snack  of  some  kind. 
Surely,  though  you  may  not  be  able  to  spare  time  to  go  to 
a  tavern,  could  not  James  get  anything  you  wished  for 
from  the  Bar  mess  at  your  lodgings,  which  is  merely  a 
step  from  the  Court  House  ?  Do,  my  heart,  try  to  ac- 
complish this ;  for,  really,  I  am  quite  unhappy  to  have  you 
fasting  from  an  early  hour  in  the  morning  until  nine  or 
ten  o'clock  at  night.  I  wish  I  was  with  you  to  make  you 
take  care  of  yourself.  I  am  quite  sure  there  is  not  another 
barrister  on  your  circuit  would  go  through  half  the  fatigue 
you  do  without  taking  necessary  nourishment.  .  .  . 

To  0' Conor  Don. 

Merrion  Square :  6th  January,  1819. 

My  dear  Friend, — We  are  thinking  of  agitating  again. 
All  is  arranged  to  wait  on  the  Duke  of  Leinster  on  Sunday 
next  to  beg  his  signature  to  a  requisition  to  the  Lord  Mayor 
for  a  Protestant  meeting  in  our  favour.  Lord  Charlemont, 
Lord  Cloncurry,  &c.  &c.,  will  sign.  We  hope  Lord  Fingall  will 
be  one  of  the  party  to  the  Duke.  I  wish  to  God  you  were 

to  the  Catholics  of  Ireland,  but  was  state   in  which  Hay's  large  family 

superseded  at  this  time  in  favour  of  were  left,  admitted  the  great  services 

Nicholas  Purcell   O'Gorman,  after-  which  for  a  lengthened  period  he 

wards  a  County  Court  judge.     Hay  had  rendered  to  the  Catholic  cause, 

died  of  actual  want  in  1826.     It  is  and  then  and  there  opened  a  fund 

due   to   all  parties  to  record   that  for  their  relief.     Hay's  History  of 

O'Connell      brought      before      the  the  Rebellion  of  1798  is  a  valuable 

Catholic   Association  the  destitute  personal  narrative. 


1819 


JACK   GIFFOBD 


59 


here.     Indeed  we  put  the  journey  off  till  Sunday  in  hopes 
you  may  come  up. 

I  enclose  you  the  last  letter  I  got  from  Lord  Fingall. 
You  see  that  he  would  come  to  meet  a  few  of  us.  He  will 
be  in  town  in  a  few  days.  This  would  be  an  additional 
reason  for  your  coming  up,  but  that,  I  fear,  would  be  quite 
inconvenient  at  this  season. 

I  got  Staunton 8  to  send  you  a  paper  with  my  address. 
I  had  but  one  object  in  writing  it — to  shew  that  it  was 
possible  to  call  the  Catholics  together  without  introducing 
one  irrelevant  or  irritating  topic.  I  was  as  tame  as  Church 
music  in  order  to  achieve  that  purpose.  But  did  you  see 
how  your  friend  of  the  Dublin  Journal  attacked  me  ?  Many 
a  ludicrous  and  curious  incident  has  occurred  to  me  in  the 
Catholic  cause,  but  anything  so  wanton  and  malignant  as 
this  miserable  Scotch  pedlar's  attack  was  never  known. 
The  barking  of  a  cur  dog 9  is  sense  compared  with  it.  I  am 
perfectly  right  in  everything  he  contradicts.  The  fellow 
told  Lawless  *  that  he  expected  to  increase  the  circulation 
of  his  paper  by  assailing  me,  even  amongst  the  Catholics. 
Upon  my  soul  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  he  did ;  but  that 
shall  never  make  me  relax.  On  the  contrary,  it  puts  me 
in  spirits  for  further  exertion. 

Yours  most  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


8  Mr.  Staunton  had  now  started 
the  Register,  an  influential  Catholic 
organ. 

9  The  editor  of  the  Dublin  Jmir- 
nal  was    Jack    Gifford,    familiarly 
known   as   '  the   dog  in   office.'     It 
appears,  from  the  Wellington  Corre- 
spondence, that  Pitt  deemed  him  of 
sufficient  importance  for  promotion. 
Every  friend  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty  was  assailed   in  his  paper. 
Grattan,  having  been  accused  of  trea- 
sonable  designs,  retorted  in  a  way 
which  shows  that,  although  he  had  a 
great  command  of  language,  yet  in 
this  instance  language  had  the  com- 


mand of  him :  '  It  proceeds  from  the 
hired  traducer  of  his  country,  the  ex- 
communicated of  his  fellow-citizens,, 
the  regal  rebel,  the  unpunished  ruf- 
fian, the  bigoted  agitator.  In  the  city, 
a  firebrand  ;  in  the  court,  a  liar  ;  in 
the  streets,  a  bully ;  in  the  field,  a 
coward.  And  so  obnoxious  is  he  to 
the  very  party  he  wishes  to  espouse, 
that  he  is  only  supportable  by  doing 
those  dirty  acts  the  less  vulgar  refuse 
to  execute.' 

1  John  Lawless,  afterwards 
known  in  the  struggle  as  '  Honest 
Jack  Lawless,'  edited  the  Ulster 
Magazine  at  this  time. 


60       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  n. 
To  0' Conor  Don. 

Merrion  Square :  llth  February,  1819. 

My  dear  Friend, — Are  you  not  delighted  that  you  did 
not  stay  in  the  country  and  plead,  as  you  might,  busi- 
ness, &c.  &c.  ? 

Get  the  signatures  you  mention,  and  as  fast  as  you 
can. 

Could  you  not  contrive  to  make  me  and  the  Grattans 
acquainted  ?  It  was  a  Grecian  patriot  that  said,  '  Strike, 
but  hear  ! '  I  was  going  to  swear  that  Ireland  has  as  true 
patriots.2  I  would  cringe  to  no  man,  but  I  would  join 
every  man  who  wishes  well  to  Ireland.  See  whether, 
without  derogating,  we  could  all  join.3 

I  return  your  congratulations  on  the  day. — In  some  haste, 
but  in  great  sincerity,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  0' Conor  Don. 

Merrion  Square  :  15th  June,  1819. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  should  have  written  to  you  from 
circuit.  Allow  me  now  to  ask  whether  you  can,  without 
inconvenience,  come  to  town  before  Saturday  next  ?  We 
have  wanted  you  for  some  time,  but  I  was  unwilling  to  be 


2  O'Connell,  in  his  letters  written 
during  the  struggle  for  Emancipa- 
tion, never  counts  on  the  help  of 
his  archbishop,  Dr.  Troy.  Eickard 
O'Connell,  B.L.,  addressing  the  pre- 
sent writer,  says : — 

'  Of  Dr.  Troy  I  remember  hearing 
him  tell,  so  long  ago  as  1822,  that 
the  patriot  Lord  Cloncurry  of  that 
day  told  him  he  was  but  twice  in 
his  life  at  the  Castle  when  he  had 
urgent  business,  and  on  both  occa- 
sions he  saw  Dr.  Troy  in  the  Vice- 
regal antechamber.  In  fact  the 
Liberator  looked  on  Dr.  Troy  then 
as  quite  a  Castle  bishop,  ready  for 
the  Veto  or  Quarantotti's  Kescript, 
or  any  measure  of  that  sort  pleasing 
io  the  Government.' 

Dr.  Troy,  it  should  be  added,  lived 


in  critical  tunes,  and  were  it  not  for 
his  influence  with  the  Castle,  the 
Catholic  chapels  in  his  diocese 
would,  it  is  said,  have  been  sum- 
marily closed  in  '98. 

3  The  great  Grattan  of  1782  had 
become  old  and  querulous  at  this 
time.  In  a  public  speech  he  said 
that  O'Connell,  in  enumerating  the 
grievances  of  Ireland,  had  failed  to 
include  its  greatest  grievance — him- 
self. Shortly  before  his  death,  in  the 
following  year,  a  deputation  from 
the  Catholic  Association,  headed  by 
O'Connell,  waited  on  him,  when 
the  old  patriot  became  seemingly 
reconciled  to  the  coming  Liberator. 
With  Grattan's  sons,  Henry  and 
James,  O'Connell  maintained  cordial 
relations  to  the  end. 


1819  PEOMPT  MEASURES  NEEDED  61 

instrumental  in  bringing  you  from  home  until  the  utility  of 
your  honesty,  conciliatory  temper,  and  admitted  respect- 
ability became  obvious.  If  you  can  come  up,  you  will,  I 
think,  be  the  means  of  a  perfect  Union.  It  seems  to  many 
honest  men  necessary  so  to  recommence  operations  as  to 
be  certainly  before  the  next  meeting  of  Parliament,  or  at 
least  in  the  first  week  of  their  sitting.  We  have  been 
materially  injured  by  the  late  period  in  which  the  question 
has  always  come  on. 

Affectionately  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  0' Conor  Don. 

Merrion  Square  :  21st  Octr.  1819. 

My  dear  Friend, — Whose  fault  will  it  be  if  we  are  not 
emancipated  this  session  ?  I  think  our  own.  One  grand 
effort  now  ought  to  emancipate  us,  confined,  as  it  should 
be,  exclusively  to  our  own  question.  After  that  I  would, 
I  acknowledge,  join  the  reformer's  hand  as  well  as  heart, 
unless  they  do  now  emancipate.  By  they,  of  course  I 
mean  the  Parliament. 

I  intend  instantly  to  set  the  cause  in  motion.  This 
great  experiment  is  worth  making.  I  think  you  will  let 
me  have  your  assistance.  I  write  by  this  post  to  Lord 
Fingall.  I  am  strongly  prompted  by  our  friends  in  Parlia- 
ment. I  wish  to  God  you  could  come  up  at  once  to  help 
me.  If  we  shew  out  before  the  Eegent's  speech  is  prepared, 
perhaps  we  may  be  remembered  in  it.  If  you  agree  with 
me  that  this  time  requires  a  sacrifice  you  will  come  up.4 
My  own  opinion  is  that  we  will  be  emancipated  now  or 
never. 

I  came  to  town  only  yesterday,  and  already  I  have 
many  irons  in  the  fire  to  raise  the  blaze  which  should  lead 
us  to  victory.  I  want  you  much,  and  the  cause  wants  you 
more. — Believe  me  ever,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

4  The  0' Conor  Don  resided  in  Connaught. 


62        COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' 'CONN 'ELL    CH.  n. 

Extract  from  another  Letter  of  the  same  date. 

'  The  period  is  at  length  arrived  when  we  may  ascertain, 
and  place  beyond  any  doubt,  whether  it  be  determined  that 
we  are  for  ever  to  remain  a  degraded  and  inferior  class  in 
our  native  land,  and  so  to  remain,  without  any  one  rational 
cause,  or  even  any  one  avowable  pretext.  We  may  now 
reduce  the  enemies  of  liberty  of  conscience  to  this  dilemma — 
either  now  to  grant  us  Emancipation,  or  to  proclaim  to  us, 
and  to  the  world,  that  as  long  as  the  Parliament  shall  be 
constituted  as  it  is  at  present,  so  long  all  hope  of  Emancipa- 
tion is  to  be  totally  extinguished. 

'  To  this  dilemma  our  enemies  may  be  reduced,  and  it  is 
a  precious  advantage  to  be  able,  for  the  first  time  in  the 
history  of  Catholic  affairs,  to  place  them  in  a  situation  in 
which  emancipation  cannot  be  refused  without  an  avowal 
of  stern,  unrelenting,  and  inexorable  bigotry ;  or  of  worse, 
of  a  disposition  to  make  use  of  bigotry  as  an  instrument  to 
perpetuate  the  divisions,  dissensions,  and  consequent  degra- 
dation and  oppression  of  Ireland.' 

O'Connell,  writing  to  FitzPatrick  on  May  14,  1839, 
casually  remarks  that  he  never  will  get  due  credit  for 
achieving  Emancipation,  '  for  posterity  never  can  believe 
the  species  of  animals  with  which  I  had  to  carry  on  my 
warfare  with  the  common  enemy ; '  and  in  the  same  letter 
he  calls  them  '  crawling  slaves.'  From  such  beings  it  is 
pleasant  to  turn  to  a  better  specimen  of  manhood. 

To  General  Bolivar. 

Dublin,  Ireland  :  18th  April,  1820. 

Illustrious  Sir, — A  stranger  and  unknown,  I  take  the 
liberty  of  addressing  you.  I  am  encouraged  to  do  so  by 
my  respect  for  your  high  character,  and  by  my  attachment 
to  that  sacred  cause  which  your  talents,  valour,  and  virtue 
have  gloriously  sustained — the  cause  of  Liberty  and  national 
independence. 

Hitherto  I  have  been  able  to  bestow  only  good  wishes 
upon  that  noble  cause.  But  now  I  have  a  son  able  to 


1820  GENEEAL  BOLIVAR  63 

•wield  a  sword  in  its  defence,  and  I  send  him,  illustrious 
Sir,  to  admire  and  profit  by  your  example,  and,  I  trust, 
under  your  orders  and  auspices,  to  contribute  his  humble 
but  zealous  exertions  for  the  success  of  the  arms  of  the 
youthful  but  already  renowned  Eepublic  of  Columbia. 

The  delusions  of  paternal  affection  may  well  cause  me 
to  appreciate  beyond  their  value  the  services  which  are  now 
offered  to  you.  But  even  I  may  be  permitted  to  say  that 
those  services  are  disinterested  and  pure,  and  that  they  ori- 
ginate in  sentiments  of  which  you  could  not  but  approve, 
because  they  are  congenial  to  those  which  have  actuated 
your  high  and  mighty  soul  in  all  your  exertions  and  sacri- 
fice for  the  independence  of  your  native  land. 

To  such  sentiments  of  love  of  liberty  are  superadded  two 
other  powerful  motives.  The  first  is,  that  I  feel  I  owe  to  the 
cause  of  liberty  to  give  you  the  best  proof  in  my  power  of 
the  devotion  with  which  your  fame  and  character  are  ad- 
mired and  cherished  in  remote  regions.  The  second  is, 
that  my  son  may  be  enabled  to  form  one  link  in  that 
kindly  chain  which  will,  I  hope,  long  bind  in  mutual  affection 
the  free  people  of  Columbia  and  the  gallant  but  unhappy 
natives  of  Ireland. 

Actuated  by  these  views,  my  son  tenders  to  you  his  ser- 
vices. Deign  to  accept  them  in  the  spirit  in  which  they 
are  offered.  He  accompanies  to  your  shores  my  gallant  and 
honourable  friend  General  D'Evereux,  under  whom  he  will 
always  be  proud  to  serve. 

That  you,  illustrious  Sir,  will  imitate  the  virtues  of 
Washington — may,  like  him,  live  to  see  the  enemies  of  your 
country  confounded  and  defeated,  and  to  enjoy  the  heartfelt 
gratification  of  beholding  your  country  perfectly  free ;  that  in 
your  life  you  may  be  honoured  and  revered  like  Washington, 
your  great  prototype  ;  and  that  after  a  long,  useful,  and  glo- 
rious career  upon  earth  your  fame  and  your  memory  may 
be  embalmed  in  the  tears  and  affections  of  the  wise,  the  good, 
and  the  patriotic  of  all  nations,  is  the  fervent  prayer  of 
Yours  most  obediently, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


64       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  n. 

Mr.  Morgan  O'Connell  duly  served  in  the  South  Ame- 
rican Army  of  Independence. 

Although  anticipating,  it  may  perhaps  be  added  here 
that  on  December  20,  1824,  O'Connell  was  arrested  for  a 
speech  on  Bolivar.  '  Oppression  drives  the  wise  man  mad,' 
he  said  :  '  it  has  not  yet  had  that  effect  upon  the  Irish  people ; 
it  has  never  driven  them  to  the  extremity  of  desperate 
resistance,  and  Heaven  forbid  it  should;  but  if  such  an 
event  come  to  pass,  may  another  Bolivar  and  the  example 
of  Greece  animate  their  efforts.' 

To  0' Conor  Don. 

Merrion  Square  :  5th  May,  1820. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  wish  it  were  your  convenience  to 
come  to  town.  We  are  getting  up  another  struggle,  and 
we  of  course  want  you.  Besides,  there  is  the  dinner  to 
Alderman  McKenny,5  for  which  I  have  reserved  for  you  the 
ticket  No.  1.  There  are  so  few  who  honestly  and  with  a 
clear  conscience  labour  for  '  the  antient  Faith '  that  I  feel 
very  lonely  when  you  are  not  with  us.  Be  so  kind  as  to 
say  whether  you  expect  to  be  in  town. 

With  great  truth,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Lord  Cloncurry.6 
(Private.)  Merrion  Square :  14th  May,  1820. 

My  dear  Lord, — I  am  so  delighted  that  you  had  an 
opportunity  at  the  dinner  of  seeing  the  manner  the  people 
cherish  you  because  you  are  honest.  It  really  is  better  to  be 
so  than  to  take  part  with  the  enemy.  But  now  you  see  that 
you  owe  us  a  debt  in  return ;  and  I  call  on  you  to  pay  it 
on  the  double. 

In  the  first  place,  there  is  the  '  Irish  National  Society 
for  Education.'  I  enclose  you  a  prospectus — first,  for  your 

5  Alderman,       afterwards       Sir  been  usually   understood    that   the 

Thomas,    McKenny  was   the    only  office  of  chief  magistrate  conferred 

Lord  Mayor  of  Dublin  who,  in  those  dignity  on  the  man,  but  as  O'Connell 

days,    favoured    the    Catholics    by  said,  in  respect  to  McKenny,  the  man 

giving  them  an  opportunity  to  ex-  conferred  dignity  on  the  office, 
press   a    sense    of    the    grievances  6  From    Personal    Recollections 

under  which  they  laboured.     It  had  of  Cloticurry,  published  in  1848. 


1820  LOED   CLONCUBRY  65 

own  advice  and  correction ;  and  then,  when  you  have  made 
it  conform  to  your  sentiments,  to  entreat  that  you  will  lay 
it  before  the  Duke  of  Leinster,  for  his  approbation  and 
sanction.  I  am  winding  up  the  Eoman  Catholic  prelates, 
and  making  every  arrangement  to  have  a  public  meeting  as 
speedily  as  possible.  We  have  not  an  hour  to  lose,  because 
we  should  be  before  Parliament  if  possible  to  share  the 
grant.  I  pray  your  most  speedy  attention  to  this  subject. 
If  we  can  have  the  Duke  as  patron,  and  you  as  one  of  the 
presidents,  we  shall  get  on  rapidly.  .  .  . 

The  second  thing  I  would  submit  to  you  is  our  '  Society 
for  Parliamentary  Information.'  Let  us,  if  you  please, 
begin  it.  If  you  will  put  your  name  to  it,  and  get  me  one 
half-dozen  Protestants,  I  pledge  myself  to  get  you  a  batch 
of  Papists  of  the  first  water.  If  it  were  once  on  foot  it 
would  accumulate  rapidly.  .  .  .  Let  us  not  postpone  making 
some  efforts  for  Ireland.  We  may  be  calumniated ;  but  do 
we  not  deserve  reproach  if  we  tamely  crouch  beneath  our 
miseries,  and  leave  this  '  loveliest  land  on  the  face  of  the 
earth '  a  prey  to  faction  and  the  victim  of  unopposed  op- 
pression ?  Reflect  on  this,  and  let  us  make  an  attempt  to 
combine  good  and  honest  men  in  an  exertion  for  the  country. 
Believe  me  to  be,  with  the  most  sincere  respect  and  regard, 
my  dear  Lord, 

Your  very  faithful  and  obedient  Servant, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Lord  Cloncurry.1 

Merrion  Sqre :  16th  Novr.  1820. 

My  dear  Lord, — I  want  a  place,  and  what  is  more,  I 
want  you  to  help  me  to  get  it ;  but  it  is  a  place  for  a 
Eadical,  which  I  am,  and  ever  shall  remain. 

Will  you  allow  me  to  ask  you  whether  you  deem  it  wrong 
to  write  for  me  to  the  Duke  of  Leinster,  to  solicit  his  in- 

7  It  was  the  pride  of  Lord  Clon-  found   almost   at   all  times  in  the 

curry,  though  belonging  by  birth  and  ranks  of  the  people.     Died  1853. 
station    to  the    aristocracy,  to    be 

VOL.  I.  F 


66       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  ir. 


fluence  with  the  Queen8  to  appoint  me  her  Attorney-General 
in  Ireland  ?  She  certainly  has  a  right  to  such  an  officer, 
and  I  have  a  right  to  fill  the  office  if  she  condescends  to 
appoint  me.  There  is  not  one  shilling  of  public  money 
attached  to  it ;  nor  is  it  in  any  sense  inconsistent  with  my 
principles,  which  are,  and  ever  shall  be,  favourable  decidedly 
to  a  complete — say,  a  radical  reform. 

I  feel  I  am  taking  a  liberty  with  you  in  asking  your 
assistance,  but  I  do  hope  you  know  me  too  well  not  to 
believe  I  would  not,  for  any  consideration,  ask  you  to  do 
anything  which  I  was  conscious  was  in  any  respect  incon- 
sistent with  your  feelings.  If  I  be  wrong  in  my  request, 
pray  excuse  me,  and  do  not  think  the  worse  of  me.  I 
know  of  no  event  which  would  afflict  me  more  than  to  lose 
any  way  in  your  good  opinion. 

The  truth  is,  that  my  leading  motive  in  looking  for  this 
office  is  to  annoy  some  of  the  greatest  scoundrels  in  society, 
and,  of  course,  the  bitterest  enemies  of  Ireland. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  my  Lord,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL.9 

To  F.  W.  Comvay,  Journalist. 

Merrion  Sq. :  17th  June,  1820. 

Sir, — The  short  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Catholics 
who  met  at  D'Arcy's  on  Wednesday  last,  which  you  gave 
in  your  paper,  is  correct  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  it  does  not 
contain  the  whole  truth.  It  is,  I  think,  my  duty  to  give 


8  Caroline    of    Brunswick.      On 
George  IV.  ascending  the  throne  in 
1820,    the     Ministry     offered     her 
£50,000    a  year  and   the    title    of 
Queen  of  England,  if  she  agreed  to 
reside    abroad.     This  proposal   she 
rejected,  and  entered  London  cheered 
by  the  people.    O'Connell  obtained 
the  short-lived  office. 

9  The  above  letter  appears  in  the 
Personal  Recollections  of  Lord  Clon- 
curry,  but  a  correspondence  passed 
between    O'Connell   and  Brougham 
at    this   time  of    which   Cloncurry 
knows   nothing.      Brougham,    after 


conferring  with  Denman,  writes  to 
ask  O'Connell  what  precedents  he 
could  furnish  of  a  Queen  Consort 
appointing  an  attorney-general ; 
whether  these  appointments  were 
disputed  or  admitted  by  the  Courts  ; 
did  the  precedent  extend  to  solicitors- 
general,  and  if  so,  what  Protestant 
barrister  would  O'Connell  recom- 
mend for  that  office  in  the  event  of 
the  '  Agitator '  holding  the  other. 
In  reply  he  urges  the  claims  of 
Bichard  Newton  Bennett.  (See  pp. 
10,  43.) 


1820  THE   CHURCH  IN  DANGER  67 

some  further  information  on  the  subject.  This  duty  seems 
to  me  imperative,  because  I  think  we  are  on  the  eve  of 
another  struggle,  to  preserve  from  all  encroachment  the 
discipline  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Ireland. 

I  may  be  much  mistaken,  but  it  is  my  firm  and  decided 
belief,  that  the  greatest  peril  which  that  Church  has  in  these 
latter  years  encountered  now  awaits  her.  I  may  also  be 
laughed  at  for  raising  the  cry  of  '  The  Church  in  danger ! ' 
but  I  am  quite  content  to  endure  any  portion  of  ridicule, 
provided  I  am  of  any  utility  in  rousing  the  Catholic  people 
of  Ireland  from  the  destructive  apathy  in  which  they  are 
now  sunk. 

The  gentlemen  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of  meeting  at 
D'Arcy's,  in  Essex  Street,  and  many  who  have  not  been  in 
the  habit  of  meeting  there,  have  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Grattan 
resolved  to  give  him  a  successor.  We  have,  I  believe,  no 
kind  of  authority  for  doing  so,  save  our  wish  to  avoid  the 
difficulty  of  another  aggregate  meeting.  A  committee  was 
accordingly  appointed  to  consider  of,  and  report  a  fit  person 
to  present  our  petition  to  Parliament.  These  three  resolu- 
tions were  unanimously  passed : — 

'1st.  That  a  delegation  should  wait  on  Mr.  Plunket l 
respectfully  to  inquire  if  he  would  support  the  prayer  of  our 
petition  for  relief,  unconnected  with,  and  unqualified  by, 
any  ecclesiastical  restrictions  or  regulations. 

'  2nd.  That  such  delegates  should  report,  in  writing,  to 
the  committee  the  answer  of  Mr.  Plunket. 

'  3rd.  That  in  case  Mr.  Plunket  should  not  think  fit  to  give 
a  distinct  answer  in  the  affirmative,  the  committee  would 
report  the  Knight  of  Kerry  as  a  fit  person  to  present  our 
petition.' 

1  Mr.  Plunket,  grandfather  of  law ' :  these  included  the  Veto.  The 
the  present  Lord  Archbishop  of  securities  which  O'Connell  foresaw 
Dublin,  had  made  some  splendid  were  finally  embodied  in  Mr.  Plun- 
orations — few  and  famous — in  sup-  ket's  Bill  of  1821.  Instead  of  a  gene- 
port  of  Catholic  Emancipation  and  rous  relief  bill  it  might  be  critically 
for  the  relief  of  Dissenters.  How-  pronounced  a  bill  of  pains  and 
ever,  he  seems  to  have  been  of  penalties.  That  Bill  passed  the 
opinion  that  'conditions  and  se-  Commons,  but  was  thrown  out  by 
curities  were  necessary  in  the  event  the  Lords.  (See  Life  of  Dr.  Doyle, 
of  a  Catholic  Eelief  Bill  becoming  vol.  i.  pp.  155  et  seq.) 

F  2 


68       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  n. 

The  delegation  was  appointed  ;  they  had  the  honour  of 
an  interview  with  Mr.  Plunket ;  they  were  received  by  him 
with  great  courtesy,  and  they  obtained  from  him  a  written 
reply. 

Of  that  reply  I  have  a  copy  ;  it  was  read  repeatedly  at 
the  last  meeting,  but  it  cannot  be  published  ;  it  is  im- 
possible we  should  publish  it,  and  I  deeply  and  bitterly 
regret  that  it  is  so,  because  it  contains  matter,  in  my 
humble  judgment,  of  vital  importance.  But  it  is  impossible 
to  publish  it  for  this  reason,  that,  in  answer  to  a  question 
from  one  of  the  delegation  on  the  subject  of  publishing,  Mr. 
Plunket  expressed  an  opinion  that  it  ought  not  to  be  pub- 
lished, and  the  delegation  expressly  agreed  not  to  publish  it. 
This  is  a  compact  which  cannot  be  violated. 

I  am  therefore  constrained  from  giving  any  of  its  con- 
tents. But  I  may  say  what  it  does  not  contain — and  it 
certainly  does  not  contain  an  affirmative  reply  to  the  question 
in  the  foregoing  first  resolution,  or  anything  at  all  like  an 
affirmative  reply  to  that  question.  The  duty,  consequently, 
of  the  committee  was  at  an  end  ;  they  were  bound  by  their 
own  unanimous  resolution  to  have  reported  the  Knight  of 
Kerry  as  a  person  to  be  applied  to  in  order  to  present  our 
petition.  That  was  then:  plain  duty  under  these  circum- 
stances— '  sed  Diis  aliter  visum.'  Without  rescinding  the 
former  resolution,  a  motion  was  made  to  report  Mr.  Plunket ; 
a  division  took  place  ;  there  were  seven  for  the  motion, 
seven  against  it,  and  it  was  decided  in  the  affirmative  by 
the  casting  vote  of  the  chairman,  Lord  Fingall.  Upon 
this  contradictory  proceeding  some  other  gentlemen,  with 
me,  seceded  from  the  committee,  and  repaired  to  the 
general  meeting,  where  I  moved  an  adjournment  until 
Wednesday  next,  the  21st  inst.,  which,  after  along  and  most 
desultory  debate,  was  carried  in  the  affirmative,  as  already 
mentioned. 

There  cannot  be  a  more  efficient  advocate  than  Mr. 
Plunket.  I  have  no  difficulty  in  saying  that  he  is  beyond 
any  comparison  the  most  powerful  advocate  in  either  country, 
England  or  Ireland.  The  only  possible  objection  to  him 


1820  W.   C.  PLUNKET  69 

can  arise  from  his  opinions  on  the  subject  of  legislating,  not 
for  civil  rights,  but  for  the  religious  doctrine  or  discipline  of 
the  Catholic  Church  in  Ireland — no  man  in  existence  more 
fit  for  the  one,  and  there  cannot,  in  my  judgment,  be  any 
person  more  unfit  for  the  other  ;  and  the  reason  why  I 
think  him  thoroughly  unfit  to  legislate  for  the  religion  or 
discipline  of  the  Catholic  Church  is  one  which  does  him  no 
discredit.  It  is  because  he  entertains  conscientious  objec- 
tions to  the  allowing  our  ecclesiastical  discipline  to  remain 
in  its  present  state.  I  respect  his  conscience,  but  I  will 
preserve  my  own. 

To  my  judgment,  no  emancipation  can  be  of  any  avail 
but  such  as  shall  be  satisfactory  to  all  parties.  It  should 
not  participate  in  any  even  if  the  slightest  degree  of  a 
victory  by  the  Catholics  over  the  Protestants.  On  the 
contrary,  it  should  come  as  a  kind  concession  from  the 
Protestants,  and  be  received  in  the  spirit  of  affectionate 
gratitude  by  the  Catholics.  It  should,  in  short,  be  precisely 
similar  to  the  relief  granted  in  1778,  to  that  conceded  in 
1782,  to  that  bestowed  in  1792,  and,  finally,  to  that  of  1793. 
In  those  years  there  was  no  mention  of  any  interference  with 
the  discipline  of  the  Catholic  Church.  The  Irish  Parliament 
felt  that,  as  Protestants,  they  were  incompetent  to  form  a 
just  notion  of  the  details  of  our  religion,  and  as  legislators, 
that  the  best  and  only  security  for  the  state  was  in  our 
affection  and  allegiance. 

The  experience  of  upwards  of  forty  years  has  shown 
that  the  Irish  course  of  emancipation  was  as  secure  as  it  was 
beneficent.  "Why  should  it  be  now  departed  from  ? 

For  the  present,  I  shall  only  add — that  our  first  duty 
seems  to  be  to  procure  emancipation  as  Catholics  if  we  can, 
and  if  we  cannot,  then,  as  Catholics,  to  remain  unemanci- 
pated.  In  either  event,  to  remain  Catholics  in  discipline  as 
well  as  in  doctrine. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL. 


70       COEEESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  n. 

Plunket's  Catholic  Belief  Bill  of  1821,  while  giving  full 
eligibility,  enacted,  with  the  object  of  allaying  hostile 
fears,  first,  that  no  persons  shall  assume  the  functions  of 
bishop  or  dean  in  the  Catholic  Church  whose  loyalty  and 
peaceable  conduct  shall  not  have  been  previously  ascer- 
tained to  the  satisfaction  of  His  Majesty ;  secondly,  that  all 
bills  and  rescripts  from  Eome  should  be  submitted  to  a 
board  of  commissioners.  Sydney  Smith  sought  by  most 
comical  argument  to  prove  the  harmless  character  of  this 
inquisition.  '  The  portmanteau  which  sets  out  every  quarter 
for  Eome,  and  returns  from  it,  is  a  heap  of  ecclesiastical 
matters,  which  have  no  more  to  do  with  the  safety  of  the 
country  than  they  have  to  do  with  the  safety  of  the  moon  ; 
and  which,  but  for  respect  to  individual  feelings,  might  all 
be  published  at  Charing  Cross.  Mrs.  Flanagan,  intimidated 
by  stomach  complaints,  wants  a  dispensation  for  eating 
flesh.  Cornelius  O'Bowell  has  intermarried  by  accident 
with  his  grandmother,  and  finding  that  she  is  really  his 
grandmother  his  conscience  is  uneasy.  Three  or  four 
schools  full  of  little  boys  have  been  cursed  for  going  to  hear 
a  Methodist  preacher.  Bargains  for  shirts  and  toe-nails  of 
deceased  saints — surplices  and  trencher-caps  blessed  by 
the  Pope.  These  are  the  fruits  of  the  double  allegiance — 
the  objects  of  our  incredible  fear  and  the  cause  of  our 
incredible  folly.' 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Cork  :  8  Apl.  1821. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  information  you  have  hitherto  given 
me  respecting  the  Bill  has  been  very  satisfactory  and 
correct.  It  is  not  your  fault  if  it  has  passed  in  its  present 
shape.  There  are,  indeed,  some  of  our  friends  who  surprised 
us  a  good  deal.  Young  Eice  2  cannot  well  escape  imputa- 
tions which  I  should  be  truly  sorry  to  countenance.  But 
the  Catholic  Clergy  in  Limerick  told  me  early  that  he 
would  take  the  precise  part  he  did.  The  truth  is,  some 
people  imagine  that  ice  think  as  little  about  our  religion 
as  they  naturally  do. 

If  the  Bill  passes  in  its  present  shape  it  will  tend  to 

2  Afterwards  created  Lord  Monteagle. 


1821  THE   CATHOLIC  RELIEF  BILL  71 

exasperate  and  render  matters  worse  in  point  of  popular 
tranquillity  than  they  are  at  present.  But  I  strongly  sus- 
pect that  the  re-establishment  of  Legitimacy  in  Italy  will  do 
more  to  throw  out  the  Bill  in  the  Lords  than  the  eloquence 
not  only  of  a  Master  in  Chancery 3  but  of  the  Chancellor  4 
himself,  pathetic  as  well  as  poetic  although  his  Lordship 
be. 

I  see  there  is  an  Assistant  Barrister 5  Bill  in  agitation 
for  England,  leaving  the  trial  by  jury.  I  think  the  plan 
promises  well,  and  that  with  modifications  it  would  be 
highly  useful  in  Ireland.  The  present  Irish  system  is 
productive  of  the  vilest  perjury,  and  does  more  to  demoralise 
our  peasantry  than  all  the  details  of  Law  and  Religion  can. 
be  calculated  to  prevent. 

Believe  me, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL 

To  his  Wife. 

Cork  :  14th  April,  1821. 

My  sweetest  Mary, — I  am  most  sincerely  grieved  that 
the  pressure  of  my  business  here  will  not  allow  me  to  leave 
this  before  Monday  evening  at  the  soonest.  You,  sweetest, 
know  how  miserable  it  makes  me  to  be  kept  away  from 
you,  when  all  my  happiness  in  this  world  rests  in  my 
family.  The  truth  is,  I  have  such  an  immense  pressure, 
I  cannot  tear  myself  away  or  work  through  it  sooner. 
I  have  been  obliged  to  swear  that  I  would  return  papers 
before  I  left  this  town,  and  I  cannot  go  away  without 
keeping  faith. 

I  wish  with  all   my  heart  that   the  present   rascally 
Catholic   Bill  was  flung  out.     While  I  am  travelling   on 
Monday  morning  the  rascals  will  be  debating. 
Yours,  with  the  tenderest  fondness, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

3  Mr.  Ellis,   a  prominent  anti-  5  County  Court  judges  were  at 
Catholic,  is  referred  to.                            first  styled  assistant  barristers. 

4  Lord  Eldon. 


72       COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  n. 
To  Cornelius  McLouglilin,  Dublin. 

Cork  :  10th  April,  1821. 

My  dear  and  excellent  Friend, — Get  as  many  honest 
names  to  the  enclosed  as  you  can  for  some  day  next  week. 
I  have  sent  one  to  Dr.  Sheridan  ;  let  us  do  the  best  we  can. 
Do  not  despair,  the  people  are  honest.  I  expect  to  be  in 
Dublin  on  Saturday  night. 

Believe  me  always,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

'We,  the  undersigned,  request  a  meeting  of  the 
Catholics  of  Ireland  on  ,  the  day  of  April, 

to  take  into  consideration  the  measures  necessary  to  be 
adopted  upon  subjects  of  the  most  vital  importance  to  the 
Catholic  religion.  The  place  and  hour  of  meeting  in  this 
City  will  be  specified  in  a  future  advertisement. 

'  Dublin  :  April,  1821.' 

On  April  2,  1821,  216  members  of  the  House  of  Commons 
voted  for  the  third  reading  of  the  Catholic  Belief  Bill ;  197 
voted  against  it.  Lord  Eldon  opposed  it  in  the  Lords  '  on 
account  of  the  danger  with  which  it  threatened  the  State.' 
The  Prime  Minister,  Lord  Liverpool,  deprecated  the  Bill 
on  every  ground ;  in  the  first  place,  it  far  from  gave  satis- 
faction to  the  Catholics  themselves.  The  Bill  was  at  last 
thrown  out  by  the  Lords. 

To  0 'Conor  Don. 

Merrion  Square  :  23rd  April,  1821. 

My  dear  Friend, — What  is  to  be  done  now  ?  That  is 
the  question.  Everyone  agrees  that  we  should  meet.  Some 
are  for  addressing  the  King,  some  for  declaring  against  any 
further  petition,  some  for  proclaiming  reform.  But  I  think 
all  agree  to  meet.  It  would  be  desirable  to  heal  the 
miserable  little  schism  which  has  arisen  amongst  ourselves. 
It  can  be  done  only  by  coming  together.  Even  the  Vetoists 
must  admit  that  securities  do  no  good,  because  we  are 
kicked  out  as  unceremoniously  with  them  as  without  them. 


.1821  SHEIL'S  SYCOPHANCY  73 

I  send  you  a  copy  of  the  requisition 6  at  the  other  side, 
and  entreat  you  to  allow  me  to  put  your  signature  to  it.  I 
hope,  too,  it  will  be  your  convenience  to  attend  the  meeting, 
I  think  there  is  no  person  who  could  contribute  so  much  as 
you  to  prevent  the  collision  of  parties.  The  fact  is  you  are 
respected  and  loved  by  everybody,  and  your  unaffected 
kindliness  of  heart  and  soundness  of  understanding  may,  I 
think,  help  us  out  of  our  present  dilemma. 

We  are  cast  down  by  our  enemies,  and  we  may  make 
ourselves  despicable  by  either  a  stupid  acquiescence,  or  by 
absurd  dissension.  I  care  not,  however,  what  quantity  of 
abuse  they  may  fling  on  myself.  I  am  consoled  in  my 
honesty. 

To  J.  D.  Mullen. 

July  18th,  1821. 

My  dear  Mullen, — I  am  just  told  that  Sheil 7  has  pre- 
pared an  address  for  the  aggregate  meeting  full  of  the  worst 
politics,  rejoicing  at  the  downfall  of  the  spirit  of  democracy, 
&  kind  of  ode  in  prose  in  favor  of  the  Pitt  system.  I 
entreat  of  you  to  exert  yourself  to  bring  as  many  honest 
'  men  as  possible  to  the  meeting  to  enable  us  to  control  any 
political  rascality.  Perhaps  we  are  in  more  danger  than 
you  imagine. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  the  Earl  of  Donoughmore. 

Mr.  O'Connell  had  the  honour  of  waiting  on  Lord  Don- 
oughmore from  several  Catholic  gentlemen  respectfully  to 
solicit  his  Lordship's  kind  counsels  (which  have  always  been 
so  readily  and  usefully  bestowed)  on  the  subject  of  the '  out- 

6  It    requested    '  a   meeting    of  tragic  dramatist.     Conscious  of  his 
the  Catholics  of  Ireland  at  Dublin  own  power,  and   anxious  to  reach 
on  Monday,  the  7th  of  May,  1821,  to  Emancipation  and  its   boons   by  a 
take  into  consideration  the  present  short  cut,  he  was  a  Vetoist  at  this 
state  of   Catholic   affairs,   and  the  time,  and  willing  to  give  the  Crown 
measures  best  suited  to  the  wants  securities   which,  some   theologians 
and  wishes  of  the  Catholics  of  Ire-  said,    would     have     the    effect    of 
land.'  undermining  and  finally  subverting 

7  Afterwards  the  Bight  Hon.  B.  religion. 
L.  Sheil,  then  chiefly  known  as  a 


74       COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ir. 

rage  '  committed  on  their  feelings  by  Mr.  Alderman  Darley 
having  revived  the  obnoxious  and  insulting  toast  at  the 
Mansion  House.8  The  Catholics  apprehend  much  jealousy  on 
the  one  hand,  and  great  encouragement  to  dissension  on  the 
other,  if  the  Government  shall  continue  in  office  and  leave 
unpunished  a  person  who  has  thus  a  second  time  violated 
the  good  understanding  between  all  parties.  At  the  same 
time  they  are  unwilling  to  take,  unadvisedly,  any  such 
public  proceeding  as  may  increase  the  interruption  of  har- 
mony. Mr.  O'Connell  will  have  the  honour  to  call  again  at 
any  hour  Lord  Donoughmore  will  be  so  good  as  to  signify. 

4  o'clock,  Saturday. 

A  long  reply  from  Lord  Donoughmore  went  on  to 
say:— 

In  the  celebration  of  the  treaty  of  conciliation  between 
the  Corporation  of  this  city  and  some  very  respectable  per- 
sons of  the  E.G.  body,  and  at  which  kind  mention  waa 
made  both  of  the  living  and  of  the  dead  who  had  the  honour 
of  being  selected  as  their  parliamentary  advocates,  though 
Lord  Donoughmore  was  thrown  overboard  altogether,  or 
perhaps  placed  by  common  consent  as  the  first  offering  upon 
the  altar,  in  token  of  the  entire  oblivion  of  all  inconvenient 
recollections  on  both  sides,  Mr.  O'Connell  is  quite  justified 

in  considering  Lord  D 's  best  counsel  and  most  zealous 

exertions  at  all  times  the  property  of  his  E.G.  countrymen, 
whenever  occasions  shall  arise  to  call  for  either  one  or  the 
other  for  their  service. 

To  Lord  Donoughmore. 

Merrion  Square :  9th  Sept.  1821. 

My  Lord, — I  delayed  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  your 
letter  until  I  could  have  the  honour  of  informing  you  that 
I  had  transmitted  it  to  the  Earl  of  Fingall  as  the  proper 
channel  to  communicate  its  contents  to  the  gentlemen  who 
conferred  with  me  on  the  occasion  which  induced  my  visits 

8  '  The  glorious,  pious,  and  im-  of  the  King's  visit  to  Ireland  at  this 
mortal  memory  '  of  William  of  time,  that  all  past  feuda  should 
Orange.  A  sort  of  compact  had  merge  into  a  cordial  spirit  of  con- 
been  entered  into,  on  the  occasion  oiliation. 


1821 


LOBD  DONOUGHMORE 


75 


to  your  Lordship.  The  advice  you,  my  Lord,  were  pleased  to 
give,  was  that  which  everybody  recognises  to  have  been  the 
most  suitable  to  the  occasion.  Allow  me  to  return  your  Lord- 
ship most  respectful  thanks  not  only  in  my  own  humble 
name,  but  in  the  name  of  all  the  gentlemen  who  acted  with  me 
on  that  occasion.  Indeed,  the  Catholics  must  always  feel  the 
deepest  sense  of  gratitude  towards  your  Lordship,  although 
they  may  find  it  impossible  to  evince  that  gratitude  in  par- 
ticular circumstances.  For  myself  personally,  I  am  under 
obligations  to  your  Lordship  and  your  family  which  no  time 
can  weaken,  nor  can  any  opportunity  ever  occur  to  enable 
me  sufficiently  to  testify  my  sense  of  the  favours  which  I 
have  received.  Believe  me,  my  Lord,  that  no  event  has 
taken  place  to  give  your  Lordship  just  reason  to  suspect  any 
portion  of  the  Catholics  of  neglect,  and  if  I  were  not  un- 
willing to  trespass  on  your  time  by  going  into  details  I  would, 
I  think,  satisfy  your  Lordship  on  that  subject. 

To  Frederick  William  Conway.9 

Cork  :  October  1st,  1821. 

Sir, — As  my  travelling  cap  '  seems  destined  to  make 
part  of  history,  I  may  be  permitted  to  request  that  you  will 
be  so  good  as  to  give  the  most  unequivocal  contradiction  in 
my  name  to  the  person,  whosoever  he  be,  who  has  accused  me 
of  asserting  '  that  I  got  it  from  the  King.' 2 

I  incline  strongly  to  think  that  no  earthly  consideration 
would  be  sufficient  to  induce  me  to  say  so  in  earnest ;  and 
to  say  so  in  jest  would  be  a  dull  joke — indeed,  dull  beyond 
the  proverbial  insipidity  of  bar  jesting,  where  there  is 
'  laughter  much  at  little  jest.1 


9  An  influential  journalist. 

A  London  paper  of  the  day 
gave  prominence,  as  '  From  Our  Own 
Correspondent,'  to  the  following, 
dated  '  Dublin,  September  16, 
1821 :  Counsellor  O'Connell  is  now 
travelling  on  circuit,  with  a  fur  cap 
and  gold  band,  which  he  says  is  a 
present  from  the  King,  who  certainly 
wore  such  a  cap  on  his  landing  in 


Ireland.' 

-  O'Connell  had  presented  alaurel 
crown  to  George  IV.  when  leaving 
Dunleary,  now  Kingstown,  after  his 
conciliatory visitin  1821 ;  and, touch- 
ing a  proposition  from  Lord  Car- 
bery,  pledged  himself  to  give  twenty 
guineas  annually  from  his  own  in- 
come to  help  in  building  an  Irish 
palace  for  the  King. 


76       COEBESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  n. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  adding  that  I  am  astonished  to 
find  that  even  in  London  there  could  exist  a  newspaper  so 
exquisitely  silly  as  to  notice  the  fur  cap.  With  which  I  have 
the  honor  to  be, 

Your  very  obedient, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife. 

Cork  :  12th  Oct.  1821. 

My  Heart's  Darling, — I  got  your  very  affectionate  letter 
of  Wednesday,  and  felt  the  extreme  happiness  of  having  so 
tender  a  partner  of  every  care  and  every  joy.  I  could  write 
something  like  poetry  to  my  own  darling  if  I  thought  that 
it  would  express  more  strongly  what  I  feel.  I  see  I  could 
easily  encourage  you  to  come  to  Limerick,  and  I  am  greatly, 
greatly  tempted  to  encourage  you.  But  no,  I  must  stay  here 
until  Tuesday.  I  then  run  off  to  Darrinane  for  three  or  four 
days,  and,  indeed,  I  will  make  no  delay  but  a  very  short 
one  in  Tralee,  just  to  settle  my  accounts  and  be  off ;  so  that 
if  you  were  to  come  down  we  would  have  little  more  than 
the  happiness  of  travelling  together.  That,  to  be  sure, 
would  be  to  me  exquisite  happiness,  but  then,  sweetest,  it 
would  be  making  you  run  a  terrible  risk  at  this  season,  and 
if  you  were  but  one  hour  ill  I  would  never,  never  forgive 
myself.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  my  heart  languishes  to  be 
with  you  or  to  express  that  kind  of  seethings  of  the  heart 
which  I  feel  at  being  so  long  absent  from  you,  but  I  will, 
indeed,  hasten  to  meet  you.  It  is  in  the  meantime  im- 
possible to  tell  you  how  dearly,  how  tenderly  I  doat  of  you. 
Lay  it  to  your  heart,  darling,  that  there  never  was  a  woman 
so  loved. 

I  enclose  you  £50  for  the  house.  Oh,  how  happy  I  should 
be  to  allow  you  to  meet  me  on  Tuesday  in  Limerick  if  I 
dared ;  but  the  shortness  of  the  time,  the  badness  of  the 
weather,  and  one  thousand  apprehensions  drive  it  out  of 
my  head,  in  particular  the  desperate  road  to  Tralee  from 
Limerick.  It  is  in  a  frightful  state.  It  would  be  better  to 
<3ome  here  at  once ;  but  this  is  all  idleness. 


1821  HIS   CAP  77 

The  assizes  are  now  quite  over,  and  I  spent  this  day 
arbitrating.  To-morrow  I  will  be  busy  writing  one  thousand 
things,  but  I  will,  please  God,  write  to  my  sweet  Betsey,3 
and  you  may  expect  a  letter  from  me  every  day  while  I  am 
here.  I  had  a  great  and  glorious  assizes.  I  believe  I  am 
at  the  top  of  the  wheel,  for  which  I  thank  God.  I  must 
conclude,  darling,  with  wishing  you  and  my  children  every 
blessing,  and  assuring  you  of  the  fondest  love 
Of  your  ever  true 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

I  had  great  fun  at  the  county  meeting.  You  never  saw 
or  heard  of  anything  that  took  better  than  my  hit  at  Mahon 
in  reply  to  his  attack  on  my  cap.  I  concluded  by  saying 
'  I  would  call  my  cap  the  cap  of  unanimity,  but  then  the 
cap  would  not  fit  Mr.  Mahon.' 

To  his  Wife. 

Tralee :  30th  Oct.  1821. 

My  own  Love, — I  do  not,  darling,  deserve  your  lecture,, 
and  I  love  you  with  a  tenderness  which  nothing  can  ever 
abate,  and  which  I  check  myself  from  expressing  because,  if 
I  were  to  indulge  in  the  expression  of  it,  the  terms  are  too 
fond  which  I  should  use,  and  yet  they  could  not  convey  the 
idea  of  the  excess  with  which  I  love  you. 

Darling,  your  son  and  I  arrived  here  yesterday  from 
Carhen.  We  had  a  delightful  day  of  it  riding  to  Killorglin  ; 
then  we  were  jumbled  in  a  carriage  over  the  worst  of  all 
possible  bad  roads.  Your  son  was  excessively  tired,  as  he 
had  been  dancing  the  night  before  at  Primrose's4  until  two 
in  the  morning  in  great  spirits,  but  to  a  most  miserable 
piper.  He  every  day  endears  himself  more  and  more  to 
his  father,  of  which,  I  suppose,  you  are  a  good  deal  sur- 
prised. 

I  am  extremely  hurried  here,  as  you  may  imagine,  and 
am  now  on  the  point  of  going  into  the  Connor's  affairs.  I 

3  His    youngest    daughter,    still       common. 

alive.     She  married  N.  J.  Ffrench,  4  Mr.  John  Primrose  married  the 

Esq.,   of   Fortwilliam,   county  Eos-       niece  of  Mrs.  O'Connell. 


78       CORRESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  n. 

wish  they  were  over,  that  I  may  be  off  for  my  sweetest 
darling  love  and  her  darling  girls  and  boys.  Tell  my  sweetest 
Daney 5  that  he  is  the  greatest  of  all  possible  doats,  and  that 
his  father  will  give  him  leave  to  be  as  bold  as  he  chooses  for 
a  full  week  after  his  return  to  Dublin.  I  wish  I  had  time 
to  write  to  my  dear  John.  Tell  him  that  I  do  not  love  him 
the  less  for  not  writing  to  him. 

To  his  Wife. 

Ennis :  12th  March,  1822. 

My  darling  Love, — I  wrote  two  letters  to  you  yesterday. 
Serjeant  Lefroy  arrived  here  about  one  o'clock  this  day  and 
tried  one  record.  To-morrow  a  great  case  of  a  Priest,  a 
friend  of  mine,  comes  on  for  defamation.  And  the  next 
day  another  great  cause,  after  which  I  will,  please  God,  go  to 
Tipperary  on  my  way  to  Wexford.  I  mean  to  be  back  in 
Limerick  early  on  Monday  morning,  before  the  jury  can  be 
sworn.  I  should  be  very  grateful  to  Providence,  which  has 
given  me  so  strong  a  constitution  as  to  enable  me  to  resist 
all  fatigue.  Blessed  be  His  holy  name  ! 

Your  alarms  about  the  county  of  Limerick  are  greatly 
exaggerated — the  people  attack  only  their  enemies.  Besides, 
darling,  I  travelled  at  hours  in  which  they  never  attack  any- 
body. And  the  military  force  is  immense.  You  need,  in 
truth,  be  under  no  kind  of  uneasiness  for  me. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  O'Connell  should  have  been 
idolised  by  his  family  and  highly  regarded  by  friends  when 
we  read  what  W.  H.  Curran,  an  Irish  Protestant,  says  of 
him  about  this  time.  After  describing  his  tall  expanded 
frame,  such  as  befits  a  man  of  the  people,  Curran  adds : 
'  In  his  face  he  has  been  equally  fortunate ;  it  is  extremely 
comely.  The  features  are  at  once  soft  and  manly :  the 
florid  grow  of  health  and  a  sanguine  temperament  are 
diffused  over  the  whole  countenance,  which  is  national  in 
the  outline,  and  beaming  with  national  emotion.  The 
expression  is  open  and  confiding,  and  inviting  confidence  ; 
there  is  not  a  trace  of  malignity  or  wile — if  there  were,  the 

5  Then  aged  six  years. 


1822 


HIS   COMELINESS 


79 


^bright  and  sweet  blue  eyes,  the  most  kindly  and  honest- 
looking  that  can  be  conceived,  would  repel  the  imputation.' 
Dr.  E.  E.  Madden  once  described  W.  H.  Curran  as  '  a  man 
who  would  freeze  you.'  The  impression  which  O'Connell 
left  on  this  keen  student  of  character  is,  therefore,  to  be 
prized. 


80      COEBESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  m. 


CHAPTEE  III. 

Lord  Norbury  and  Mr.  Saurin — A  Discovery — Weak  and  Vacillating  Policy 
of  Lord  Wellesley — The  Viceroy's  Path  strewed  with  Insults — Matin 
Devotions — Catholic  Emancipation  offered — Belief  Bill  prepared— De- 
putation to  London — Full  Details  in  O'Connell's  Letters  to  his  Wife — 
His  Parliamentary  Examination— Lionised  and  feasted — The  Great  Men 
he  met — Attends  the  Levee — The  Catholics  duped— The  Cup  dashed  from 
their  Lips — Bill  to  suppress  the  Catholic  Association — O'Connell  re- 
fuses Eeimbursement  for  Time  and  Toil — The  Catholic  Eent — Dr.  Doyle's 
Coolness  with  O'Connell — '  The  Wings  ' — The  Duke  of  York — Eibbonism 
active. 


ONE  evening  the  well-known  Chief  Justice  Lord  Norbury 
thrust  under  the  seat  of  his  arm-chair  a  letter  which  had 
reached  him  when  enjoying  by  the  fireside  well-earned  rest 
after  a  day  of  toil.  The  chair  was  subsequently  sent  to  an 
upholsterer  for  repair,  and  the  letter  came  to  light.  The 
writer  was  the  Orange  Attorney-General  Saurin,  who  urged 
the  Chief  Justice  to  exert  the  influence  of  his  official  posi- 
tion, whilst  going  on  circuit  as  judge,  to  personally  mingle 
in  political  conversations  with  the  Grand  Jury,  in  order  to 
check  the  progress  of  the  Catholic  question.  It  had  often 
been-  suspected,  but  this  letter  now  proved  that  poison  had 
been  poured  into  the  very  fountains  of  Justice.1  It  found 
its  way  to  O'Connell,  who  was  shocked  at  the  contents. 


1  The  following  is  the  letter  in 

question  : — 

'  Dublin  :  August  9. 

'  Dear  Lord  Norbury, — I  tran- 
scribe for  you  a  very  sensible  part 
of  Lord  Eosse's  letter  to  me  : — 

' "  As  Lord  Norbury  goes  our 
Circuit,  and  as  he  is  perfectly  ac- 
quainted with  the  Gentlemen  of  our 
country,  a  hint  to  him  may  be  of 
use.  He  is  in  the  habit  of  talking 
individually  to  them  in  his  Chamber 
at  Philipstovvn ;  and  if  he  were  to 


impress  upon  them  the  consequence 
of  the  measure,  viz. — that  however 
they  may  think  otherwise,  the 
Catholics  would,  in  spite  of  them, 
elect  Catholic  Members,  and  then 
have  the  nomination  of  the  Sheriffs, 
and,  in  many  instances  perhaps  of 
the  Judges  ;  and  that  the  Protestants 
would  be  put  in  the  background  as 
the  Catholics  were  formerly,  I  think 
he  would  bring  the  effect  of  the 
measure  home  to  themselves,  and 
satisfy  them  that  they  could  scarcely 


1822  NOEBUBY'S  LETTER   TO   SAUBIN  81 

To  N.  P.  O'Gorman,  Secretary  to  the  Catholics 
of  Ireland. 

Merrion  Square  :  22  June,  1822. 

My  dear  O'Gorman, — I  beg  leave  to  deposit  the  enclosed 
letter  with  you  as  a  document  of  great  importance  to  the 
Catholics  of  Ireland.  I  deposit  it  with  you  in  your  capacity 
of  Secretary  to  the  Catholics  and  for  public  purposes,  and  I 
request  you,  as  such  secretary,  to  call  a  meeting  of  such 
noblemen  and  gentlemen  as  take  a  part  in  managing  our 
affairs,  to  consider  the  propriety  of  either  petitioning  Parlia- 
ment or  instituting  a  prosecution  on  the  subject  of  this 
letter,  and  of  the  conspiracy  which  it  proves  to  convert  the 
judicial  office  into  an  engine  of  calumny  and  bigotry. 
Very  faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

P.S. — Acknowledge  the  receipt  of  this.  I  think  the 
meeting  should  be  private. 

To  the  Eight  Hon.  W.  C.  Plunket,  M.P.,  Attorney -General. 

Merrion  Square :  1st  July,  1822. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  letter  of 
the  25th  of  June,  and  am  sincerely  sorry  to  see  that  you  think 
the  plain  evidence  of  a  foul  and  most  dangerous  crime — 
the  perversion  of  the  administration  of  Justice  to  political 
purposes — should  be  sacrificed  to  some  notion  of  etiquette. 
I  am  indeed  very  sorry  for  it. 

I  hope  and  trust  that,  if  any  Catholic  had  been  guilty  of 
an  attempt  to  corrupt  a  judge  and  to  pervert  the  administra- 

submit  to  live  in  the  country  if  it  stitution,  they  shall  infallibly  lose 

were  passed."  theirs,  it  would  alter  their  conduct, 

*  So  far  Lord  Eosse  ;  but  what  he  though  it  could  neither  make  them 

suggests  in    another    part    of    his  honest  nor  respectable." 
letter  : —  '  If  you  will  judiciously  administer 

'  "  That  if  Protestant  Gentlemen  a  little  of  this  medicine  to  the  King's 

who  have  votes,  and  influence,  and  County  or   any  other   Members   of 

interest,    would    give    these    venal  Parliament  that  may  fall  in  your 

Members  to  understand  that  if  they  way,  you  will  deserve  well, 
will  purchase  Catholic  votes  by  be-  '  Affectionately  and  truly  yours, 

traying  their  Country  and  its  Con-  '  WM.  SAUBIN.' 

VOL.    I.  G 


82      COBBESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  in. 

tion  of  so  sacred  a  thing  as  public  justice  to  any  purpose 
injurious  to  the  State,  or  even  to  the  meanest  Protestant 
in  that  state,  such  Catholics  would  be  prosecuted  with  the 
utmost  rigour  of  the  law.  In  the  case  of  a  Catholic  so 
offending  I  should  be  desirous  that  the  usual  modes  of 
obtaining  evidence  of  secret  conspiracies,  namely,  the  giving 
rewards  to  any  associate  who  would  betray  and  prove  guilt, 
would  be  resorted  to.  Such  crimes  require  and  justify  the 
hiring,  at  wages,  of  that  kind  of  treachery  which  all  honest 
men  abhor,  but  must  make  use  of,  otherwise  secret  con- 
spiracies would  go  unpunished.  In  the  case  of  an  offending 
Catholic  I  should  hope  that  his  crime  would  be  thus  sifted, 
detected,  and  punished.  I  am  not  so  foolish  or  so  uncandid 
as  to  assert  that  the  case  of  a  Protestant  who  conspires  to 
injure  the  Catholics  can  in  the  present  temper  of  Society 
in  these  countries,  and  under  the  present  system,  with  at 
least  one  half  the  administration  in  both  decided  enemies 
of  Catholic  rights  and  liberties — I  am  not,  I  say,  so  foolish 
and  uncandid  as  to  assert  that  under  such  a  system  the 
crimes  of  Catholics  and  Protestants  against  each  other 
should  be  weighed  in  the  same  scales  of  gold ;  neither  theory 
nor  practice  warrant  me  to  say  so.  But  yet  this  is  so  plain, 
so  distinct,  so  enormous  an  offence ;  the  evidence  of  it  has 
been  procured  in  so  guiltless  a  way — no  reward,  no  price 
has  or  can  by  any  remotest  possibility  be  now  or  here- 
after paid  for  it ;  it  is  handed  to  us  by  that  kind  of  chance 
which  is  sometimes  absurdly,  and  at  other  times  perhaps 
piously,  called  '  providential ; '  it  furnishes  so  strong,  so 
striking  a  feature  in  the  causes  of  Irish  misery  that  I  can- 
not bring  myself  to  believe  but  that  on  reflection  you  will 
see  the  necessity,  or  at  least  the  propriety,  of  not  allowing 
these  offenders  to  escape. 

Under  those  circumstances  I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  again, 
and  in  the  most  respectful  manner  possible,  to  tender  you 
the  copy  of  this  letter  and  to  offer  you  the  proof  of  the 
original,  and  also  of  the  manner  in  which  it  has  been 
procured. 

I  am  happy  that,  as  this  letter  is  addressed  to  you  merely 


1822  LORD   WELLESLEY  83 

as  a  public  man  on  a  public  subject,  it  does  not  require  from 
you  any  reply.  The  contents  are  dictated  by  perhaps  a 
mistaken,  but  certainly  a  strong  as  well  as  painful  sense  of 
public  duty.  I  wish  the  manner  of  performing  that  duty 
could  sufficiently  express  the  unfeigned  respect  with  which 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  &c.,  ™/~( 

DANIEL  0  CONNELL. 

O'Connell  then  appealed  to  Brougham,  who  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  animadvert  in  Parliament  on  Saurin's  letter,  espe- 
cially as  it  was  connected  with  the  return  of  members  to 
the  House.  Peel  replied  that  he  would  rather  be  the  writer 
than  he  who,  having  found  the  letter,  made  so  base  a  use 
of  it.  Both  Saurin  and  Norbury  were  then  alive.  The 
point  has  no  force  now. 

In  1821  Lord  Wellesley  became  Viceroy — the  first  Irish- 
man who  for  centuries  had  filled  that  post.  Having  advo- 
cated the  Catholic  claims,  his  appointment  was  a  popular 
one,  and  some  said  that  Lord  Liverpool  designed  it  to  divert 
O'Connell  from  his  proposed  alliance  with  the  English 
Eadicals.  Orangeism  had  long  held  high  festival  in  the  land, 
and  strong  party-toasts  were  constantly  given  at  its  feasts. 
This  practice  Lord  Wellesley  mildly  deprecated,  but  the 
intimation  was  not  well  taken,  and  hopes  were  cherished 
that  his  tenure  of  office  might  soon  end.  At  a  dinner  of  the 
Beefsteak  Club  (an  Orange  Body)  the  chairman  slyly  pro- 
posed '  The  exports  of  Ireland  ! '  Among  those  present  were 
three  Castle  officials,  whom  Lord  Wellesley  next  day  dis- 
missed ;  but  in  cooler  moments  he  magnanimously  an- 
nounced his  intention  of  himself  dining  with  the  offending 
Club.  He  was  most  gracious.  The  entire  company  rose 
when  he  moved  to  retire,  and  he  passed  out  bowing  through 
files  of  Orangemen.  But  he  had  scarcely  reached  the  door 
when  '  The  exports  of  Ireland ! '  was  given  and  received  with 
a  roar  of  vivacious  acclamation,  and  the  Viceroy  descended 
the  stairs,  stung  by  an  insult  which  was  destined  later  on  to 
widen.2  His  policy  towards  the  Orangemen  continued  weak 
and  vacillating.  Alderman  Kingston  James,  an  aggressive 
Corporator,  was  made  a  Baronet.  Patronage,  instead  of 

2  Great  license  of  language  dis-       devil  pelting  priests  at  him.'     '  Sup- 
figured  these  reunions.   Lord  Monck,      pose     you     substitute     monks     for 
or,   as    he    was    familiarly   called,       priests,'    said    Sir   P.   Bellew,   who 
'  Moncks,'  gave,  as  chairman  :  '  The       chanced  to  be  present  as  a  guest, 
pope  in  the  pillory  of  Hell  and  the 

G  2 


84      COBRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  in, 

being  equally  distributed,  flowed  in  the  old  channels.  The 
celebration  of  '  July  the  Twelfth ' — the  date  of  the  defeat 
of  James — had  long  been  a  time-honoured  observance  in 
Dublin.  The  statue  of  William  in  College  Green — dressed 
with  symbolic  trappings  and  painted  in  orange  and  blue— 
became  a  scene  of  theatric  triumph,  followed  often  by 
midnight  disorder  and  outrage.  O'Connell  felt — rightly  or 
wrongly — that  he  had  been  cajoled  by  Lord  Wellesley,3  who 
blandly  asked  the  Agitator's  aid  in  his  efforts  to  tranquillise 
Ireland.  The  oil  of  flattery  temporarily  calmed  the  troubled 
sea  of  our  Tribune's  thoughts ;  but  the  effect  had  now 
passed  away,  and  the  following  letter  affords  sufficient 
record  of  the  change. 

To  the  Marquis  Wellesley,  dec.  dec.  dec. 

Merrion  Square :  July  llth,  1822. 

My  Lord, — To-morrow  will  finally  decide  the  character 
of  your  administration.  The  oppressed  and  neglected 
Catholics  of  Ireland  had  fondly  hoped  that  they  might 
have  obtained  from  a  Jriend  placed  in  the  exalted  situation 
which  your  Excellency  occupies,  a  recommendation  in 
favour  of  their  claims.  You  took  an  early  opportunity  to 
crush  that  hope  for  ever.  In  your  reply  to  the  Address  of 
the  Catholics  of  the  county  of  Clare,  you  told  the  Irish 
people  that  you  came  here  to  '  administer  the  laivs,  not  to 
alter  them.' 

My  Lord,  but  a  few  weeks  elapsed,  when  you  deemed  it 
expedient  to  recommend  the  Insurrection  Act,  and  the  Act 
to  suspend  the  Habeas  Corpus.  That  the  latter  was  not 
wanting,  is  now  admitted  by  everybody;  and  that  any 
necessity  is  a  justification  of  the  former,  remains,  in  my 
humble  judgment,  to  be  proved.  But  let  these  pass. 

It  still  remains  for  your  Excellency  to  administer  the 
laws.  Hitherto  the  Catholics  have  felt  no  advantages  from 
your  Excellency's  administration.  The  system  by  which 
we  are  governed,  the  cold  system  of  exclusion  and  distrust, 

3  Times    have    changed.      The  fused  to  keep  in  repair  the  Statue  of 
Freeman's  Journal  of  June  13, 1888,  King  William  or  to  permit  its  re- 
publishes  a  letter  complaining  that  moval. 
the  Corporation  of  Dublin  has  re- 


1822 


AN  ORANGE  FESTIVAL 


85 


is  precisely  the  same  with  that  of  the  most  rigid  of  your 
predecessors.  One  principal  actor,4  to  be  sure,  has  been 
withdrawn  from  the  scene,  and  we  may  deem  the  alteration 
a  compliment ;  but  I  am  yet  to  learn  what  benefit  we  are  to 
derive  from  it ;  and  I  appeal  to  your  Lordship,  whether  the 
change  to  which  I  allude  has  not  been  amply  compensated 
for,  to  the  exclusionists,  by  the  removal  of  the  mildest,  kind- 
liest, and  best  public  man  Ireland  has  yet  ever  seen,  Mr. 
Grant.5 

Your  Excellency  came  to  administer  the  laws.  My  Lord, 
I  most  respectfully,  but  at  the  same  time  most  firmly,  call 
upon  you  to  administer  them.  The  exhibition  intended  (it 
is  said)  for  to-morrow,  is  plainly  a  violation  of  the  law.  It 
is  an  open  and  public  excitement  to  a  breach  of  the  peace — it 
is  a  direct  provocation  to  tumult — it  obstructs  the  public  street, 
by  collecting  on  the  one  side  an  insulting,  and  on  the  other  an 
irritated,  concourse  of  persons.  It  is,  my  Lord,  for  these, 
and  other  obvious  reasons,  a  manifest  violation  of  the  law. 

I  pledge  myself  to  prove,  before  any  Court,  or  to  any 
impartial  Jury,  that  the  usual  annual  exhibition  on  the 
12th  of  July  is  illegal ;  I  make  this  pledge  under  no  small 
risk ;  I  have  certainly  as  large,  probably  a  larger  profes- 
sional income  than  any  man  in  a  stuff  gown  ever  had  at 
the  Irish  Bar;  an  income  depending  mainly  upon  the 
public  notion  that  I  understand  something  of  my  profes- 
sion. I  could  not  afford  to  forfeit  that  public  confidence, 
and  yet  I  freely  consent  to  forfeit  it  all,  unless  I  am  able 
to  demonstrate  to  any  judicial  tribunal  that  the  annual  ex- 
hibitions of  the  IZth  of  July  are  illegal. 

Having  given  this  pledge,  I  again  respectfully  call  upon 
your  Excellency  to  vindicate  the  exalted  character  you  have 


4  '  Bushe  is  one  of  the  first  men 
produced  by  our  country.  When  I 
•went  to  Ireland  in  1821, 1  found  him 
depressed  by  an  old  Orangeman 
named  Saurin,then  Attorney-General 
by  title,  but  who  had  been  really 
Lord-Lieutenant  for  fifteen  years. 
I  removed  Saurin  and  appointed 
Bushe  Lord  Chief  Justice.' — Lord 


Wellesley  to  Lady  Blessington 
(Memoirs  and  Correspondence  of  the 
Countess  of  Blessington,  by  B.  E. 
Madden,  vol.  iii.  p.  4). 

5  The  Eight  Hon.  Charles  Grant, 
afterwards  Lord  Glenelg,  Chief 
Secretary  for  Ireland  from  1818  to 
1821,  when  he  was  replaced 'by  Mr. 
Goulburn. 


86      COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' 'CONN 'ELL     CH.  in. 

heretofore  acquired,  to  do  justice  to  the  high  name  you 
bear,  and  to  fulfil  the  duties  of  the  exalted  station  which 
you  occupy.  As  you  cannot  alter,  I  again  respectfully, 
dutifully,  but  firmly,  call  upon  you  to  administer  the  law, 
and  to  suppress  an  illegal  and  insulting  nuisance. 

My  Lord,  you  do  not,  cannot  want  the  means  of  sup- 
pressing this  nuisance  ;  one  word  from  you  will  be  abun- 
dantly sufficient  to  do  it.  The  expensive  Police  of  Dublin 
is  at  your  disposal,  with  one  word  you  can  remove  every  one 
of  them,  from  the  Chief  Magistrate  in  the  Chief  Office  to 
the  lowest  retainer  in  the  patrole  department.  The  Cor- 
poration has,  to  be  sure,  the  power  to  nominate  to  many 
of  those  situations,  but  that  influence  which,  alas !  is 
deemed  necessary  over  higher  assemblies  is  preserved  in 
perfect  purity  over  the  Corporation  by  your  Excellency's 
undoubted  right  to  dismiss  the  nominees  of  the  Corpora- 
tion, at  your  pleasure,  from  those  lucrative  situations  in  the 
Police. 

You  do  not,  my  Lord,  want  the  power  to  administer 
the  law.  To  say  nothing  of  the  military  force  at  your  dis- 
posal, you  can  command,  and  it  is  within  the  limits  (and 
would  it  were  within  the  practice)  of  our  Constitution,  to 
command  them,  all  the  liberal  Protestants,  constituting 
a  most  numerous  and  respectable  body,  and  the  entire 
Catholic  population  of  Dublin,  as  Special  Constables,  to 
keep  the  peace,  and  prevent  a  violation  of  the  law.  You 
have,  my  Lord,  ample  power,  and  God  forbid  it  should  ever 
be  said  that  you  wanted  the  inclination,  to  administer  the 
laws  impartially  towards  all  classes  of  his  Majesty's  subjects. 
I  say  nothing  of  his  most  gracious  Majesty's  parting 
admonition — I  say  nothing  of  the  disinterested  and  affec- 
tionate loyalty  which  the  Catholics  shewed  to  their  Sovereign, 
on  his  visit  to  Ireland ;  and  I  scorn  to  boast  of  the  active 
part  so  humble  an  individual  as  myself  took  upon  that  im- 
portant occasion.  My  Lord,  the  Catholics  forgot  injuries 
and,  what  is  infinitely  more  difficult,  forgave  insults,  to 
effect  a  reconciliation  with  their  Protestant  fellow-subjects ; 
and  in  no  one  instance  have  the  Catholics,  since  the  King's 


1822  OUTRAGE   TO   THE   VICEROY  87 

visit,  violated,  in  deed  or  even  in  word,  the  spirit  of  that 
amicable  concord  which  they  then  sought,  and  believed 
they  had  attained.  I  now  defy  the  most  active  of  our 
calumniators  to  point  out  any  one  single  act,  or  even  any 
one  single  word,  by  which  the  Catholics  have  violated  that 
concord.  But,  alas !  how  speedily,  how  completely,  how 
entirely  has  it  been  violated  upon  the  other  side  !  On  the 
other  side,  those  men  who  were  loudest  in  proclaiming 
sentiments  of  amity,  what  has  been  their  conduct  since  ? 
But  I  will  not  dwell  upon  this  painful  subject ;  I  will  only 
say,  that  the  Catholics  deserve  and  require  protection  from 
insult  and  injury.  Will  you,  my  Lord,  refuse  them  that 
protection  ? 

To-morrow  decides  the  character  of  your  Excellency's 
Administration  in  Ireland.  That  your  conduct  then,  and 
always,  may  at  length  justify  the  wishes  of  your  admirers, 
and  the  fallen  expectations  of  this  fallen  country,  is  the 
anxious  desire  of, 

My  Lord,  your  Excellency's  most  obedient, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

This  letter  had  due  effect,  and  Lord  Wellesley  sought 
to  prevent  the  annual  celebration.  Orangeland  was  in 
ferment.  During  a  State  visit  to  the  theatre,  a  series  of 
oral  insults  was  followed  up  by  the  discharge  of  missiles 
into  the  Viceregal  box.  This  hostility  was  not  diminished 
by  his  marriage  in  1825  with  a  Koman  Catholic  lady,  named 
Patterson,6  sister-in-law  of  Jerome  Buonaparte,  and  the 
granddaughter  of  Carroll,  the  last  surviving  signatory  of 
the  American  Declaration  of  Independence.  Lord  Wellesley 
continued  his  efforts  to  exorcise  the  demon  of  bigotry,  but 
not  always  with  success,  as  the  following  hoax  from  the 
Mail 7  of  that  day  serves  to  show.  It  is  a  travesty  of  the 

6  Dr.  Shelton  MacKenzie,  in  his  of  whom  married  Lord  Wellesley 
Life  of  Scott,  mentions  a  curious  the  other  Jerome  Buonaparte,  after- 
fact,  if  fact  it  is.  Mr.  Patterson,  wards  king  of  Westphalia, 
better  known  as  '  Old  Mortality,'  7  '  Saurin  set  up  a  newspaper  to 
who  loved  to  repair  the  tombstones  defame  me,  the  Mail,  which  (not- 
of  the  Presbyterian  martyrs,  had  a  withstanding  the  support  of  Lord 
son  named  John.  This  man  emi-  Manners  and  the  Orangemen)  has 
grated  to  America  when  Washington  not  yet  ruined  or  slain  me.' — Lord 
was  at  school,  and  settled  in  Balti-  Wellesley  to  Lady  Blessington. 
more,  where  he  amassed  wealth  by  (Memoirs,  by  E.  E.  Madden,  iii.  pp. 
trade.  He  had  two  daughters  one  4-5.) 


88      COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  m. 

mode  in  which  announcements  of  Viceregal  drawing-rooms 
were  usually  made  :— 

*  '  Private  Chaplain's  Office,  Phoenix  Park :  Feb.  17,  1826. 

'  There  will  be  a  "  Kosary  "  at  the  [Viceregal]  Lodge  on 
the  evening  of  Monday,  the  20th  inst.  '  The  ladies  and 
gentlemen  who  attend  are  requested  to  bring  their  own 
beads,  much  confusion  having  arisen  in  consequence  of  their 
neglecting  to  bring  these  necessary  articles  on  former 
occasions.' 

Mr.  'Eemigius  Sheehan'  edited  this  staunch  anti- 
Catholic  organ ;  and  it  is  remarkable  that  his  brother  be- 
came a  distinguished  Catholic  priest — the  late  Eight  Eev. 
Monsignor  Sheehan,  of  Cork. 

The  hopes  of  the  Catholics  hung  as  wet  osiers — to  quote 
Shell's  words — when  in  1823  O'Connell  established  that 
subsequently  powerful  confederacy  the  Catholic  Association. 
He  toiled  hard  in  organising  its  ranks  and  securing  in- 
fluential co-operation. 

As  may  be  gathered  from  a  previous  letter,  and  others 
printed  in  the  journals  of  the  day,  Lord  Donoughmore, 
though  a  warm  friend  to  Catholic  Emancipation,  was  peevish 
and  jealous.  O'Connell  constantly  sought  to  keep  this  peer 
in  good  humour. 

To  Lord  Donoughmore. 

Merrion  Square :  10  June,  1823. 

My  Lord, — I  feel  so  much  respect  and  gratitude  towards 
your  Lordship  for  your  personal  kindness  to  myself,  and  the 
unwearied  zeal  with  which  you  have  always  advocated  the 
cause  of  the  Catholics  of  Ireland,  upon  its  true  principles, 
that  (however  unnecessary  in  itself)  I  cannot  avoid  making 
a  short  comment  to  your  Lordship  on  a  recent  occurrence 
amongst  us.  I  mean,  the  giving  a  partial  Catholic  petition 
to  Earl  Grey  instead  of  respectfully  entreating  of  your 
Lordship  to  present  it  for  us.  The  persons  who  act  with 
me  amongst  the  Catholics  are,  believe  me,  deeply  penetrated 
with  the  same  sentiments  towards  your  Lordship  that  I  am. 
And  however  a  few  individuals  may  think,  that  in  trans- 
ferring the  petition  from  Mr.  Plunket  to  Mr.  Brougham  in 
the  Commons  I  intended  any  disrespect  to  the  former,  they 


1823  'MATIN  DEVOTIONS1  89 

are  greatly  mistaken,  although  upon  that  mistake  may  be 
founded  the  selection  of  Earl  Grey  in  the  House  of  Lords. 
I  have  only  to  add  that  the  Catholics  of  Ireland,  for  whom 
your  Lordship  has  been  pleased  to  accept  the  management 
of  their  general  petition,  are  filled  with  sentiments  of  the 
most  perfect  conviction  of  the  debt  of  gratitude  they  owe 
you,  and  of  the  inestimable  value  of  your  services  in  our 
cause.  For  my  humble  self,  I  have  so  many  additional 
motives  to  be  devoted  to  your  family,  that  I  should  blush  to 
belong  to  any  body  which  could  forget  for  one  moment  how 
deeply  indebted  we  are  to  your  Lordship.  There  is  no 
danger  of  any  such  forgetfulness.  And  I  now  write  only 
to  show  how  jealous  we  should  be  of  anything  which  could 
have  the  appearance  of  such  danger. — I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  New  Monthly  Magazine  was  edited  at  this  time  by 
Thomas  Campbell,  and  contained  a  remarkable  series  of  Bar 
sketches,  of  which  the  best  was  that  of  O'Connell.  The  writer 
said  that  if  any  visitor  to  Dublin  should  chance,  in  returning 
from  a  ball  between  5  and  6  A.M.  of  a  winter's  morning,  to 
pass  through  Merrion  Square  he  might  observe  that,  among 
those  splendid  mansions,  there  was  one  tenanted  by  a  person 
whose  habits  widely  differed  from  those  of  his  fashionable 
neighbours.  '  The  half-opened  parlour  shutter  and  the 
light  within  announce  that  some  one  dwells  there  whose 
time  is  too  precious  to  permit  him  to  regulate  his  rising 
with  the  sun's.  Should  your  curiosity  tempt  you  to  ascend 
the  steps  and,  under  cover  of  the  dark,  to  reconnoitre  the 
interior,  you  will  see  a  tall  able-bodied  man  standing  at  a 
desk,  and  immersed  in  solitary  occupation.  Upon  the  wall 
in  front  of  him  there  hangs  a  crucifix.  From  this,  and 
from  the  calm  attitude  of  the  person  within,  and  from  a 
certain  monastic  rotundity  about  his  neck  and  shoulders, 
your  first  impression  will  be  that  he  must  be  some  pious 
dignitary  of  the  Church  of  Eome  absorbed  in  his  matin 
devotions.  But  this  conjecture  will  be  dismissed  almost  as 
soon  as  formed.  No  sooner  can  the  eye  take  in  the  other 
furniture  of  the  apartment — the  bookcases  stocked  with 
tomes  in  plain  calf-skin  binding,  and  blue-covered  octavos 
strewing  the  tables  and  the  floor,  the  reams  of  manu- 


90      CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  in. 

script  in  oblong  folds  and  begirt  with  crimson  tape — 
than  it  becomes  evident  that  the  party  meditating  amidst 
such  objects  must  be  thinking  far  more  of  the  law  than  the 
prophets.' 

The  man  who  peeped  goes  home  blessing  his  stars  that 
he  is  not  a  lawyer,  and  compassionating  the  sedentary 
drudge  whom  he  had  just  detected  at  his  cheerless  toil. 
But  should  he  happen  that  day  to  visit  the  Four  Courts  he 
would  be  surprised  to  find  the  severe  recluse  of  the  morning 
transformed  into  one  of  the  most  bustling  and  important 
personages  of  that  busy  scene.  We  hear  that  when  the  Judges 
rise  at  three,  O'Connell  will  have  gone  through  a  quantity 
of  business,  the  preparation  for  and  performance  of  which 
would  suffice  to  wear  down  an  ordinary  constitution,  and 
one  naturally  supposes  that  the  rest  of  the  day  must 
necessarily  be  given  to  recreation  or  repose.  'But  here 
again  you  will  be  mistaken ;  for  should  you,  as  you  return 
from  the  Courts,  drop  into  any  of  the  public  meetings  that 
are  almost  daily  held  in  Dublin,  you  will  find  the  Counsellor 
there  before  you,  the  presiding  spirit  of  the  scene,  riding 
in  the  whirlwind,  and  directing  the  storm  of  popular  debate 
with  a  strength  of  lungs  and  a  redundancy  of  animation 
as  if  he  had  that  moment  started  fresh  for  the  labours  of 
the  day.  There  he  remains  until,  by  dint  of  strength  or 
dexterity,  he  has  carried  every  point;  and  from  thence, 
if  you  would  see  him  to  the  close  of  the  day's  eventful 
history,  you  may  have  to  follow  him  to  a  public  dinner, 
from  which,  after  having  acted  a  conspicuous  part  and 
thrown  off  half-a-dozen  speeches  in  praise  of  Ireland,  he 
retires  at  a  late  hour  to  repair  the  wear  and  tear  by  a 
short  interval  of  repose,  and  is  sure  to  be  found  before  dawn 
next  morning  at  his  post  recommencing  the  routine  of  his 
restless  life.' 

Mr.  Curran,  in  his  sketch  of  O'Connell's  ubiquitous 
efficiency,  says  nothing  of  his  great  activity  on  circuit. 
The  following  letters  furnish  some  details  on  this  head. 

To  Lord  Donoughmore. 

2nd  July,  1823. 

My  Lord,— I  beg  leave  respectfully  to  solicit  your  Lord- 
ship's attention  to  the  bills  before  the  House  of  Lords 
relative  to  the  profession  of  attornies  in  Ireland.  The 
reason  why  I  make  this  request  is  because  I  am  convinced 


1823-24  AN  OVATION  91 

by  experience  that  bill  is  calculated  to  do  much  mischief  to 
the  public.  Having  no  other  motives,  I  venture  to  hope 
that  my  testimony  will  add  to  the  impression  which  I  per- 
ceive, by  the  public  papers,  has  already  been  made  on  your 
Lordship's  mind  on  this  subject.  I  cannot  avoid  availing 
myself  of  this  opportunity  of  returning  you  my  most  sincere 
thanks  for  your  attentions. — I  have  the  honor,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife. 

Tralee  :  15th  August,  1824. 

My  darling  Love, — It  is  an  age  since  I  heard  from  you. 
I  got  to  Waterford  on  Tuesday  and  was  dragged  by  the 
people  from  the  new  bridge  to  my  lodgings,  about  half 
a  mile,  along  the  finest  quay  imaginable.  The  next  day 
the  record  came  on — my  client  was  defeated,  but  ought 
not.  The  Chief  Justice 8  was  astounded  at  the  verdict, 
but  it  was  occasioned  altogether  by  the  Orange  feeling 
which  prevents  Catholics  from  getting  justice.  My  client 
was  a  Catholic,  and  not  a  single  Catholic  was  left  on  the 
jury.  I  never  was  more  disgusted  by  the  vileness  of  the 
bigotry  which  crushes  the  Catholics  in  every  step  and 
situation  in  life.  I  got  a  great  dinner  on  Wednesday.  The 
company  was  respectable  and  very  numerous.  I  did  not 
get  to  bed  till  near  two  in  the  morning.  I  was  up  again 
at,  or  rather  before,  six,  and  travelled  that  day,  Thursday, 
to  Killarney,  104  miles,  but  I  was  not  there  until  near  three 
in  the  morning.  I  was  obliged  to  be  up  again  at  six,  and 
came  here  on  Friday  morning  before  the  Court  sat.  Butler's 
fishery  case  was  postponed  for  me,  and  we  succeeded  in  it  gal- 
lantly. Butler  is  very  grateful — and  so,  darling,  he  ought. 
I  went  through  a  good  deal  of  fatigue,  but  I  never  was  better 
in  health  or  spirits — boasting  of  you  and  my  girls  and  my 
boys,  not  forgetting  my  miscreant.  Darling,  give  them  all 
my  tenderest  love,  and  tell  yourself,  if  you  can,  how  I  love 
you,  my  own  own  Mary.  I  go  this  day  to  James's9  to 
dine  and  sleep,  having  taken  my  place  for  Cork  to-morrow. 

8  Charles  Kendal  Bushe.  9  His  brother,  afterwards  created  a  baronet 


92      CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CON  NELL     CH.  in. 


I  thus  get  to  Cork  a  full  day  before  the  assizes  commence. 
They  will  certainly  last  a  full  fortnight.  I  then,  dearest, 
take  my  trip  to  Iveragh.  You  can  afford  to  let  me  go  to 
Iveragh  this  year.  I  trust,  sweetest,  this  winter  will  agree 
with  you  and  my  own  own  girls.  They  little  know  how 
their  father  raves  of  them.  It  is  that,  darling,  literally. 

Spring  Eice  has  been  here  on  the  grand  jury.  He  would 
have  had  a  public  compliment  paid  to  him  if  I  had  not 
interfered.  I  am  quite  dissatisfied  with  him  and  his  politics. 

Darling,  I  will,  please  God,  write  to  you  regularly  from 
Cork  and  will  expect  frequent  letters  from  you. 

Yours,  with  the  utmost  tenderness  and  truth, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

[See  letter  of  January  llth,  1825,  in  Appendix.] 

Dr.  Lardner  essayed  to  show  the  utter  delusiveness 
of  steam  locomotion,  and  while  the  future  Earl  of  Derby 
opposed  the  Manchester  and  Liverpool  line  which  tra- 
versed the  Knowsley  estates,  and  denounced  railways  as 
'  a  mad  and  extravagant  speculation,'  O'Connell  saw  the 
great  importance  of  the  change.  In  1834  the  first  Irish 
railway  was  opened  between  Dublin  and  Kingstown,  and 
there  is  now  before  me  a  silver  cup,  bearing  date  '  Aug.  6, 
1833,'  and  '  presented  to  T.  M.  Gresham,  Esq.,  by  the  in- 
habitants of  Kingstown  to  mark  their  sense  of  his  spirited 
efforts  in  opposing  the  Kingstown  Railway.' l  O'Connell, 
long  hi  advance  of  such  men,  foresaw  the  success  of  steam, 
and  put  his  muscular  shoulder  to  the  wheel. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry.2 

Merrion  Square  :  28th  Jan.  1825. 

My  dear  Knight, — We  are  determined  to  have  railways 
as  well  as  our  neighbors,  and  the  utility  of  them  seems  to 
me  so  obvious  that  I  have  consented  to  be  a  director  of 


1  This   railway  proved    a  great 
boon,  and,  in  point  of  fact,  '  made 
Kingstown.' 

2  By  documents  now  before  me, 
the   Knight    of    Kerry    appears   to 
be  in   O'Connell's  debt  £194.      As 
O'Connell  wished  to  take  up  nine- 
teen shares  he  asked  him  to  make 


a  deposit  of  ten  per  cent,  on  that 
number.  '  I  will  put  all  my  shoul- 
ders to  this  undertaking,'  writes 
O'Connell.  '  Within  a  week  I  will 
be  able  to  enter  into  the  subject  of 
this  company  with  more  attention 
to  its  details.  I  feel  the  greatest 
anxiety  for  its  success.' 


1825          A    GLIMPSE   OF   THE  PROMISED  LAND  93 

the  Northern  line.  I  think  this  line  free  of  all  objection, 
because  it  does  not  interfere  with  the  property  already 
sunk  in  the  canals.  Whatever  be  the  policy  of  protecting 
the  canals,  it  is  preferable,  at  least  in  point  of  good  feeling, 
not  to  interfere  with  them. 

This  will  be  handed  to  you  by  my  particular  friend  Mr 
Eoose,  who  goes  to  London  on  this  business.  I  beg  to  re- 
commend him  to  you  in  the  strongest  terms.  I  have  ven- 
tured to  promise  him  your  kind  assistance.  I  am  almost 
ashamed  to  tell  you  how  much  I  have  told  him  you  would 
do  for  him.  Of  course  I  would  not  ask  you  to  do  anything 
but  what  your  own  judgment  perfectly  approved.  But  there 
are  a  thousand  helps  thro'  the  House  which,  if  you  have 
leisure  to  give  him  some  of,  will  certainly  be  conferring  a 
most  particular  and  personal  favor  on  me. 

Faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

In  1825  a  Bill  to  suppress  the  Catholic  Association  was 
brought  forward  by  Mr.  Goulburn ;  and  O'Connell  and 
Sheil  attended  at  the  Bar  of  the  House  to  pray  that  they 
might  be  heard  as  counsel  for  the  body  in  whose  proceed- 
ings they  had  taken  so  active  a  part.  The  debates  which 
followed  threw  forth  a  new  light.  A  pleasant  glimpse  of 
the  land  of  promise  was  obtained,  and  men — long  tempest- 
tossed — stood,  as  they  thought,  within  measurable  distance 
of  its  shore.  Negotiations  were  opened,  in  which  O'Connell 
was  treated  with  great  perfidy.  Emancipation  was  pro- 
mised, provided  it  be  accompanied  by  the  '  Wings.'  By 
these  clauses  the  Forty  Shilling  Freeholders  were  to  be 
disfranchised,  and  the  Catholic  clergy  pensioned.  Plunket 
was  deceived  in  the  first  instance,  and  became  the  means 
of  deceiving  the  deputation  of  Catholics  who  had  come  as 
political  missionaries  to  London.  The  question  remained 
in  abeyance  for  nearly  five  years  after,  but  such  was 
the  vigour  and  determination  of  O'Connell,  that  he  at  last 
wrung  Emancipation  from  a  hostile  Premier,  who  gave  it 
not,  as  he  said,  in  justice  to  the  claim,  but  because  it  had 
become  downright  irresistible.  Throughout  the  period  of 
anxiety  and  hope  which  the  mission  to  London  in  1825 
embraced,  O'Connell's  correspondence  is  specially  full. 


94      CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  in. 
To  his  Wife. 

Shrewsbury :  16th  February,  1825. 

My  darling  Heart's  Love, — We  had  rather  a  rough 
passage  to  Holyhead.  We  slept  at  Bangor.  Started  this 
morning  at  five,  and  arrived  here  before  seven  this  evening. 
We  had  eight  in  and  on  the  Landau.  Our  party  consists 
of  Sir  Thomas  Esmonde,  Hugh  O'Connor,  Mr.  McDonnell 
— a  young  gentleman  of  fortune  from  Sligo  or  Mayo — Mr. 
Shiel,  Mr.  Kir  wan — the  gentleman  who  speaks  at  the 
asso-s/ie-ation — Fitzsimon,  and  myself,  with  my  servant 
James.  The  weather  is  very  pleasant.  Darling,  you  have 
thus  a  journal  of  our  proceedings  hitherto.  To-morrow  we 
will  get  nearly  to  London,  and  reach  it  early  on  Friday.  I 
will  write  to  you  again  that  day.  We  have  at  present  no 
account  of  the  division  against  us,  but  the  numbers  who 
support  us  will  be  small.  We  have  read  Monday's  debate, 
and  if  you  get  Sir  Jas.  Macintosh's  speech  with  the  Latin 
quotation  at  length,  get  Maurice  to  translate  it  for  you,  as 
there  is  a  compliment  in  it  for  a  certain  little  cocknosed 
woman  of  my  acquaintance,  whom,  after  all,  I  most  sincerely 
love.  Our  neighbour  North 3  made  a  virulent  speech  against 
us,  so  did  that  long  blockhead  Dogherty.4  Nothing  could  be 
more  indecent  than  Brownlow,5  Dawson,6  and  the  rest  of  the 
gang.  We  have  little  to  expect  from  such  a  crew  of  mis- 
creants. However,  it  is  not  in  their  power  to  injure  us 
much.  We  intend  to  have  a  recess  in  London,  and  to  make 
speeches  at  those  who  speak  against  us  in  Parliament.  We 
will,  I  think,  make  a  sensation,  and  I  hope  in  God  do  some 
good.  Of  course  you  know  that  I  risk  nothing  in  point  of 
personal  encounter.  I  say  this  to  dissipate  any  appre- 

3  Henry  North  died  in  1831,  soon  5  Afterwards  Lord Lurgan.  Some 
after  his  appointment  as  Admiralty  weeks  later  he  handsomely  acknow- 
judge.      W.  H.   Curran  supplies   a  ledged,  in  a  remarkable  speech  in 
clever  picture  of  him  in  his  Sketches  Parliament,   that  the   evidence  de- 
of  the  Irish  Bar,  i.  208.  livered  by  Dr.  Doyle  and  O'Connell 

4  Curran      describes      Doherty,  had  completely  converted  him.    (See 
afterwards  Chief  Justice,  as  '  six  feet  Bishop  Doyle's  Life,  i.  409.) 

two  inches  high,    and    every  inch  6  G.  E.  Dawson,  the  brother-in- 

a    very    estimable     person.'      (See       law  of  Peel. 
Sketches  &c.,  vol.  ii.  pp.  1-26.) 


1825  DEPUTATION  TO  ENGLAND  95 

hension  which  you  in  former  times  would  entertain ;  and  as 
to  any  prosecution,  there  is  not  in  England  the  least  pos- 
sible danger  of  that.  It  is  not  possible  at  present  to  say 
how  long  we  shall  be  detained  in  London.  It  will  be  as 
short  as  I  can  make  it,  without  injuring  or  deserting  the 
business  which  has  at  present  torn  me  from  you,  my  own 
sweetest,  dearest  darling.  It  is  a  sacrifice — certainly  a 
great  sacrifice — and  you  must  not  be  angry  if  I  meet 
nothing  but  ingratitude  in  return.  No  man  should  ever 
expect  gratitude  from  the  public.  I  wish  to  God  I  could 
make  my  motives  so  pure  and  disinterested  as  to  care 
little  for  gratitude  or  applause.  Write  to  me,  sweetest — 
you  whom  I  do  care  for — write  to  me  every  day,  and  get 
my  girls  and  my  son  also  to  write  to  me.  Beg  of  Maurice 
to  attend  to  Catholic  affairs — to  get  forward  as  many  peti- 
tions as  possible,  and  from  as  many  counties.  Let  him 
announce  every  day  at  the  committee  of  the  Association  that 
he  must  make  to  me  a  daily  return  of  the  number  of  peti- 
tions. Let  a  book  be  got,  and  in  it  the  names  inserted  of 
five  or  six  to  manage  the  petitions  of  each  county ;  and  let 
those  persons  be  called  on  every  day  to  make  a  report  of 
what  they  have  done  to  send  forward  petitions.  If  there  be 
zeal  enough  in  petitioning,  we  shall  yet  be  safe.  At  all 
events,  our  motto  is, '  God  and  our  native  Land.'  Darling, 
embrace  my  children  for  me.  and  believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNBLL. 

The  Irish  political  missionaries,  as  they  wended  their 
way  through  England,  attracted  much  attention,  espe- 
cially in  the  smaller  towns.  We  learn  from  contemporary 
accounts  that  O'Connell  mainly  arrested  the  public  gaze. 
He  sat  on  the  box  of  a  landau  with  a  large  cloak — seem- 
ingly a  revival  of  the  ancient  Irish  mantle — folded  around 
him.  His  massive  figure  wrapped  in  this  drapery,  and 
his  fine  open  beaming  face,  made  him  a  very  conspicuous 
object.  The  deputation  arrived  in  Wolverhampton  about 
8  A.M.  with  appetites  ill  befitting  the  season  of  Lent,  during 
which  they  were  constrained  to  travel.  '  The  table  was 
strewn  with  a  tantalising  profusion  of  the  choicest  fare/ 
proceeds  the  graphic  pen  of  Sheil.  '  Every  eye  was  fixed 


96      COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  ni. 


on  an  unhallowed  round  of  beef,  which  seemed  to  have  been 
placed  on  the  breakfast  table  to  lead  us  into  temptation. 
But  Mr.  O'Connell  exclaimed,  "  Eecollect  that  you  are  in 
sacred  precincts :  the  terror  of  the  Vetoists  " — meaning 
Bishop  Milner — "  has  made  Wolverhampton  holy  !  "  The 
admonition  saved  us.  We  thought  we  beheld  his  pastoral 
staff  upraised  between  us  and  the  forbidden  feast,  and 
turned  slowly  from  its  unavailing  contemplation  to  the 
Lenten  fare  of  dry  toast  and  creamless  tea.' 

To  Mrs.  O'Connell. 

London  :  18th  February,  1825. 

My  darling  Love, — This  day  we  arrived  here  at  half 
after  one.  On  our  arrival  we  dressed  and  proceeded  to  Sir 
Francis  Burdett,  with  whom  we  had  a  long  conference.  He 
is  an  elegant  gentleman,  but  there  is  an  English  coldness 
about  him.  I  have  since  had  half  an  hour's  conference  with 
Mr.  Denman.7  I  like  him  much.  We  then  went  to  the 
House  of  Commons,  into  which  and  under  the  gallery  Kit 8 
Hutchinson  conducted  us  with  the  permission  of  the  Speaker. 
I  saw  him,  the  Speaker,  measure  me  with  his  glass.  Many 
of  the  members  shook  hands  with  me,  amongst  the  rest 
Tom  Ellis.9  After  sitting  a  short  time  we  have  come  out  to 
dinner.  There  is  a  smart  debate  expected  on  presenting 
several  petitions  this  evening.  My  opinion  of  the  honourable 
house  is  greatly  lessened  by  being  in  it.  I  do  not  suppose 
we  shall  be  heard  as  counsel.  It  is  said  that  if  we  are  heard 
it  will  principally  be  from  a  motive  of  curiosity.  The  fact 
is,  they  are  always  careless  about  Ireland  till  they  want  us. 
I  wish  the  time  were  come  when  they  wanted  us,  the  scoun- 
drels !  We  had  a  pleasant  journey  enough.  The  weather 
was  good  and  the  travelling  pleasant  enough.  We  kept  our- 
selves as  merry  as  we  could.  Alderman  Wood  !  got  himself 


7  Afterwards  Lord  Denman,  who 
in  1844  denounced  the  packing  of  the 
jury  which  convicted  O'Connell. 

8  M.P.  for  Cork,  and  the  brother 
of  Lord  Donoughmore. 

9  Master  Ellis,  a  leading  Tory. 

1  Afterwards  Sir  Mathew  Wood, 
Bart.,  famous  for  the  zeal  with  which 


he  attached  himself  to  the  fate  and 
fortunes  of  Queen  Caroline.  During 
his  second  tenure  of  office  as  Lord 
Mayor  of  London,  he  earned  popula- 
rity by  saving  the  lives  of  three  poor 
Irishmen  who  had  been  sentenced  to 
be  hanged  on  the  false  testimony  of 
three  police  officers.  Died  1843. 


1825        HAMILTON  BOWAN—SIB   C.   WETHEEELL 


97 


introduced  to  me ;  he  has  the  air  of  an  honest  man,  cordial 
and  frank.  Give  my  warmest  love,  darling,  to  our  children. 
Write  to  me  a  great  deal  about  them  ...  I  hate  being 
absent  from  my  sweetest  love. 

Believe  me,-  darling  Heart, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


Cooke's  Hotel,  Albemarle  Street :  21st  February,  1825. 

My  darling  Heart, — You  are  before  this  apprized  that 
we  are  not  to  be  heard  at  the  bar  of  the  house.  "We  were 
in  the  house  under  the  gallery  during  the  debate  of  Friday. 
It  was  dull  and  prosy  enough  in  all  conscience.  Peel  was 
civil  but  very  malignant  to  the  Catholics.  He  made  a 
powerful  use  of  the  letter  to  Hamilton  Eowan,2  but  certainly 
we  enabled  Brougham  to  have  much  the  better  of  it  in  his 
reply.  It  was  an  able  speech,  but  to  tell  you,  darling,  the 
honest  truth,  you  would  prefer  certain  orators,  one  of  whom 
shall  be  nameless,  to  the  talkers  of  the  great  house.  The 
Solicitor-General  is  a  blockhead.3  Mr.  Attorney- General 


2  Archibald  Hamilton  Eowan,  an 
Ulster  Protestant  of  large  property, 
became  a  member  of  the  '  Society  of 
United  Irishmen '  at  a  time  when  its 
objects  were  professedly  confined  to 
Parliamentary  Eeform  and  Catholic 
Emancipation.  The  Government 
having  threatened  to  suppress  the 
Irish  volunteers,  he  attended  a 
meeting  of  that  force  to  protest 
against  the  coming  coup,  and  issued 
an  address  beginning  :  '  Citizen  sol- 
diers, to  arms  !  '  Eowan  was  put  on 
his  trial,  fined  £500,  and  sentenced 
to  be  imprisoned  for  two  years.  By 
bribing  his  jailer  he  escaped  to 
Eush,  a  village  on  the  Dublin 
coast,  and  thence  reached  France  in 
an  open  boat.  The  proclamation 
offering  £1,000  for  his  apprehension 
was  thrown  into  it ;  but  a  man 
named  Sheridan,  who  acted  as  pilot, 
exclaimed  :  '  Never  mind,  by  — 
we  will  land  you  safe.'  In  1802 
Eowan  was  permitted  to  return  to 
Ireland,  and  when  Shelley  visited 
Dublin  in  1812,  and  attended  one  of 

VOL.  I. 


O'Connell's  Catholic  meetings,  he 
addressed  some  letters  to  Eowan 
urging  him  to  assist  in  the  regene- 
ration of  Ireland.  Eowan  failed  to 
respond  ;  but  in  1823  he  joined  the 
Catholic  Association,  and  an  address 
was  presented  to  him,  a  fact  which 
Peel  trenchantly  noticed  in  1825,  as 
connecting  its  proceedings  with  '  an 
attainted  traitor.'  Eowan  journeyed 
to  London  in  order  to  challenge 
Peel,  but  happily  no  blood  was 
spilt.  Died  1834. 

3  For  some  years  Sir  Charles 
Wetherell  was  the  cause  of  much 
laughter,  and,  as  may  be  supposed,, 
never  attained  any  higher  judicial 
eminence  than  that  of  Eecorder 
of  Bristol,  where  he  narrowly  es- 
caped with  his  life.  Finding  Wel- 
lington not  indisposed  to  grant 
Catholic  Emancipation,  he  resigned 
the  Solicitor-Generalship,  resolved, 
as  he  said,  to  have  no  connection 
with  the  Scarlet  Lady  whose  seat  is 
on  the  Seven  Hills. 


98      COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CONN  ELL  ;CH.  in 

no  great  things*    Mr.  Wynne,  who  belongs  to  the  cabinet,  is 
just  one  of  the  worst  speakers  I  ever  heard.5    He  somewhat 
resembles  McNamara,  of  the  county  of  Clare,  who  '  forgot 
to  omit '  something.     You  have  no  notion  of  what  a  stupid 
set  they  are  altogether,  and  even  our  friends  are  not  as 
zealous  as  we  did  expect.     There  is  an  English  coldness  ; 
and,  after  all,  what  is  it  to  them  if  we  are  crushed  ?    We 
yesterday  waited  on  Sir  Francis  Burdett,  who  met  us  in 
company  with  Brougham,  Hobhouse,  Abercrombie,  Sir  John 
Newport,  and  Jas.  Grattan.     They  have  resolved  to  pre- 
sent the  grand  petition  this  night  and  to  fix  a  day  for  its 
discussion.     We  are  to  dine  to-day  at  half  after  three,  and 
to  be  in  the  house  till  late.     Sir  Francis  Burdett  improves 
much  on  acquaintance.     Brougham  is  a  manly  plain  man  ; 
Abercrombie  is  a  Chancery  Lawyer  in  great  business,  and 
represents  the  high  Whigs  ;  Hobhouse  appears  to  me  to  be 
a  direct-minded,  honest  man.    I  spent  an  hour  with  Cobbett 
and  was  greatly  pleased  with  him.     He  is   a  bold  clear- 
headed fellow,  and  his  views  are  distinct  and  well  inten- 
tioned.     I  confess,  darling,  I  have  been  pleased  altogether 
with  this  trip.    Mr.  Sheil,  McDonnell  and  I  went  this  morn- 
ing with  Lord  Althorp,  who  is  son  to  the  Earl  Spencer, 
one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  influential  peers.     We  re- 
ceive every  compliment  imaginable.     Crowds  of  peers  and 
parliament   men  pouring  in  upon   us.     I   am   made   the 
*  spokesman '  of  every  meeting.     I  have  no  doubt  but  this 
visit  will  do  '  the  cause '  some  good,  if  it  were  in  nothing 
else  but  in  showing  us  what  a  base  and  vile  set  the  House 
of  Commons  is  composed  of.    Darling,  this  is  a  long  disser- 
tation on  politics.    Be  assured  I  will  take  care  of  my  Nell," 
my  sweet  Nell.     Do  leave  that  to  me. 

Your  fondest, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


4  Sir  J.  Singleton  Copley,  after- 
wards Lord  Lyndhurst. 

5  Right   Hon.    Charles    W.    W. 
Wynn  had   sat  in  Parliament  from 
1790,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
in  1850,  was  the  oldest  member  of 


the  House. 

6  His  eldest  daughter,  afterwards 
Mrs.  FitzSimon,  accompanied  him 
to  London.  She  died  January  23, 
1883. 


1825  MEETINGS  IN  LONDON  99 

London  :  22d  February,  1825. 

My  darling  Love, — I  wrote  half  a  letter  to  you  from  the 
hotel,  but  I  have  not  had  time  to  go  back  there  to  finish  it 
—  so,  darling,  that  half  must  remain  over  till  to-morrow. 
This  day  I  got  Kate's  letter,  and  wish  you  would  give  her  a 
sweet  kiss  for  her  father. 

The  Duke  of  Norfolk,  Lord  Stourton,  and  some  others 
were  with  us  this  day  to  arrange  a  public  meeting  on 
Saturday  next,  where  all  the  talkers  are  to  declaim,  amongst 
the  rest  your  humble  servant,  whom  you  must  call  the  worst 
of  all.  I  was  for  an  hour  with  the  '  sour  Sectarian '  of  the 
Morning  Chronicle,7  and  had  a  most  pleasant  conversation 
with  him.  The  deputies  this  day  unanimously  resolved 
to  invite  over  the  bishops 8  at  once.  I  was  commissioned  to 
write  to  them,  and  did  so  accordingly.  They  will  be  here 
before  the  debate  on  our  petition.  We  were  in  the  house 
last  night  during  the  debate  on  the  second  reading  of  the 
bill.  It  was  the  most  dull  and  stupid  thing  imaginable. 
One  scoundrel — a  Sir  EdwardKnatchbull — said  that  he  voted 
for  the  bill  because  I  had  by  my  influence  quieted  a  district 
in  Ireland  which  he  said  was  dangerous  ! ! !  I  did  not  get 
to  bed  till  after  one  this  morning,  and  was  not  up  this  day 
until  after  ten.  Only  think  of  that,  sweetest !— but  rejoice, 
my  darling,  cocknosed,  sweetest,  saucy,  best  of  women — 
there  is  a  long  name  for  you  ! — but  rejoice,  for  every  member 
of  the  house  says  '  asso-she-ation.' 9  Mr.  Brougham  says 
it  most  distinctly,  and  at  both  sides  it  is  the  universal 
pronunciation.  So  you  triumph  over  us  all.  We  are  to 
get  a  great  dinner  from  Brougham  on  Sunday  ;  the  Duke 
of  Devonshire  is  to  entertain  a  batch  of  us ;  we  are  to  get 
a  great  dinner  from  '  the  friends  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty.'  There  will,  I  think,  be  a  great  aggregate  meeting  of 
Westminster,  and  probably  another  in  the  city  of  London. 
My  own  opinion  is,  that  the  Catholic  Cause  has  gained  ground 
greatly,  and  that  all  it  requires  is  an  active  perseverance. 

7  Mr.  John  Black.  evidence  on  the  state  of  Ireland. 

9  Doctors  Murray  and  Doyle  ar-  9  Mrs.  O'Connell's pronunciation 

rived  and  delivered  very  remarkable       of  the  word. 

H  2 


100     COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  m. 

It  is  vanity  to  be  sure,  but  we,  darling,  are  equal  to  the  rascals 
in  everything,  to  say  the  least  of  it.  I  rejoice  at  your  victory 
about  asso-she-ation,  but  I  confess  I  can  not  help  being  sorry 
that  my  darling  girls  are  defeated. 

Maurice  did  make  a  good  speech,  but  he  should  not  imitate 
his  father's  faults  by  being  so  personal.  Let  me  know  if 
there  be  any  thing  which  I  ought  to  write  about  and  which 
I  do  not.  I  wish  I  could  be  more  detailed.  I  will  endeavour 
in  future  to  send  you  a  regular  journal.  Tell  me  what  says 
my  sweet  Dan  to  the  world.  What  does  he  think  of  his 
father's  absence?  I  promise  you,  darling,  not  to  be  so  long  in 
bed  of  a  morning  in  future ;  but  it  will  console  you  to  know 
that  I  never  was  in  better  health  or  in  better  spirits. 
Ever  yours,  darling, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Cooke's  Hotel,  Albemarle  Street,  London  :  22nd  February,  1825. 

My  own  and  only  Love, — It  was  Kate l  wrote  the  letter  I 
got  this  morning,  and  I  do  most  tenderly,  tenderly  love  Kate. 
Yet,  sweetest  Mary,  I  could  have  wished  to  see  one  line  also 
in  that  handwriting  which  gives  me  recollections  of  the 
happiest  hours  of  my  life,  and  still  blesses  me  with  inex- 
pressible sweetness  and  comfort  when  we,  darling,  are 
separate.  All  the  romance  of  my  mind  envelopes  you,  and 
I  am  as  romantic  in  my  love  this  day  as  I  was  twenty-three 
years  ago,  when  you  dropped  your  not  unwilling  hand  into 
mine.  Darling,  will  you  smile  at  the  love  letters  of  your  old 
husband  ?  Oh  no — my  Mary — my  own  Mary  will  remember 
that  she  has  had  the  fond  and  faithful  affections  of  my  youth, 
and  that  if  years  have  rolled  over  us  they  have  given  us  no 
cause  to  respect  or  love  each  other  less  than  we  did  in  early 
life.  At  least,  darling,  so  think  I.  Do  not  smile,  either,  at  the 
mere  circumstance  of  not  getting  a  letter  making  me  some- 
what melancholy.  It  is  so  cheering  to  my  heart  to  hear  from 
you — it  is  so  delicious  to  me  to  read  what  you  write  that 

1  His   daughter   Katharine,  afterwards   married  to  Charles   O'Connell 
of  Bahoss.     This  lady  is  still  alive. 


1825  MOVEMENTS  IN  LONDON  101 

indeed  I  can  not  but  feel  lonely  when  I  do  not  read  your 
words. 

SSdFebi-uary,  1825. — I  was  hurried  out  yesterday  before 
I  could  finish  my  letter  to  you — I  mean  this  letter — I  wrote, 
however,  from  the  tavern  where  we  dine.  I  yesterday  went 
to  the  House  of  Commons  after  dinner,  but  finding  from  Sir 
Francis  Burdett  that  he  would  present  the  petition  on 
Tuesday  next  when  he  makes  his  motion  on  its  merits,  I 
left  the  house  and  soon  came  home.  This  morning  soon 
after  eight  I  was  called  by  James  to  see  young  Mr.  Cobbett, 
and  accompanied  him  to  his  father.  I  found  the  family  at 
breakfast.  Cobbett  has  got  the  Westminster  folks  to  bestir 
themselves,  and  we  shall  have  a  meeting — an  aggregate 
meeting  in  the  open  air,  to  which  I  will  have  a  chance  of  ex- 
pressing my  sentiments  fully.  There  is  also  to  be  a  meet- 
ing of  the  Livery  of  London.  No  person  can  attend  but  a 
Livery  man,  and  therefore  I  am  to  become  a  Livery  man — in 
other  words,  a  freeman  of  London.  I  believe  I  am  already 
— a  Pattenmaker  of  this  City.  Only  think  that  you  are  a 
Pattenmakers  wife.  I  will  make  Pattens,  I  suppose, 
all  the  rest  of  my  life.  It  will  be  a  great  opportunity  to 
harangue  on  Ireland's  want  and  woes.  The  Catholic  meet- 
ing is  to  take  place  on  Saturday  in  the  Freemasons'  Hall. 
Sheil  and  I  are  to  speak.  I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  I 
must  speak  badly.  After  I  came  in  from  Cobbett's  we 
attended  in  St.  James's  Street  for  two  or  three  hours — we 
meet  all  enquirers  there  in  a  room  at  the  Thatched  House 
Tavern,  it  is  called.  We  had  a  deputation  of  the  English 
Catholics  to  settle  with  us  as  to  the  form  of  the  petition  to 
be  presented  to  the  House  of  Lords.  We  dine  on  Saturday 
at  Lord  Stourton's.  On  Sunday  at  Brougham's  to  meet  the 
Dukes  of  Sussex  and  of  Devonshire  &c.  We  are  asked  for 
Sunday  the  6th  of  March  by  the  Duke  of  Norfolk.  There  is 
a  better  chance  of  emancipation  certainly  by  our  having 
come  over.  We  are  certainly  working  on  the  English  mind. 
I  calculate  on  opening  an  agitation  shop  here  quite  exclusive 
of  my  pattenmaking  !  Believe  me,  darling,  I  would  soon 
carry  the  question  if  I  did.  Tell  my  children,  my  darling 


102    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  in. 

children,  how  tenderly  I  love  them.  Tell  Maurice  I  trust  to 
his  prudence  and  care  of  everything.  A  little  law  reading 
and  a  little  earlier  rising  would  do  him  no  harm. 

Ever,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

London  :  24th  February,  1825. 

My  darling  Heart, — Every  arrangement  is  made  for  the 
English  Catholic  meeting  on  Saturday.  The  Bishop  of 
Norwich  sent  Sir  Henry  Parnell  to  me  to  beg  I  would  let 
myself  be  introduced  to  him.  Of  course  I  complied,  and 
will  see  the  bishop  to-morrow.  I  am  to  be  examined  before 
the  Committee  on  Irish  affairs  on  Tuesday  next.  I  can  tell 
them  some  facts  and  give  them  more  theory.  I  was  work- 
ing all  day  to  get  up  a  meeting  of  the  Livery  of  London, 
and  I  am  myself  now  a  freeman  of  that  City.  We  are 
getting  on  pretty  well  amongst  ourselves,  but  Finn 2  seems  to 
me  to  be  more  easily  displeased  than  anybody  else.  I 
believe  I  will  go  to  the  House  this  night,  although  the  interest 
is  nearly  lost  in  that  quarter.  I  have  determined  to  make 
a  long  speech  at  the  Catholic  meeting,  but  my  anxiety  is 
great,  so  that  I  have  every  reason  to  fear  that  I  may  not 
speak  well.  I  am  obliged  to  go  to  the  House  of  Lords  to 
see  Lord  Donoughmore. 

London  :  25th  February,  1825. 

My  darling  Heart, — I  wrote  part  of  a  letter  at  the  hotel 
this  morning,  but  unfortunately  was  summoned  before  the 
Committee  for  Irish  Affairs,  where  I  spent  the  far  greater 
part  of  the  day.  I  was  examined  on  various  points. 
Increase  of  the  peasantry  in  numbers,  state  of  the  peasantry, 
titles  to  lands,  registry  of  freeholds,  freehold  tenures,  ex- 
penses of  law  proceedings,  civil  bill  courts,  manor  courts, 
civil  bill  ejectments,  and  I  am  to  be  examined  again  on 
Tuesday.  It  consumed  a  great  part  of  the  day,  and  was 
therefore  inconvenient.  I  was  this  morning  with  Sir  H. 
Parnell  to  visit  the  Bishop  of  Norwich.  A  fine,  lively  old 

2  W.  F.  Finn,  afterwards  M.P.  for  Kilkenny,  one  of  the  deputation. 


1825  BISHOP  BATHUBST  103 

gentleman  he  is.  He  is  full  of  his  anxiety  for  Catholic 
emancipation,  and  I  pray  God  he  may  live  to  be  a  Catholic 
himself.3  Nothing  else  has  occurred  to  tell  you,  darling, 
and  I  believe  you  have  more  regular  information  on  the 
subject  of  Catholic  affairs  than  any  one  else.  The  fact  is, 
darling,  that  the  Catholic  cause  has  certainly  advanced  in 
spite  of  its  enemies.  It  is  daily  gaining  ground,  and  gaming 
it  in  the  best  way  upon  the  popular  mind.  The  people  are 
becoming  better  informed  on  the  subject  of  the  Catholic 
claims  and  Catholic  religion.  Depend  on  it,  darling,  that 
the  fact  is  as  I  tell  you.  Peel  was  in  the  room  during  a 
great  part  of  my  examination  this  day.  Sir  Henry  Parnell 
was  the  principal  person  who  examined  me,  next  to  him 
Spring  Eice.  Vesey  Fitzgerald  asked  me  several  questions, 
Lord  Ennismore  a  few,  Capt.  Maberley  a  few.  It  is  pro- 
bably vanity,  but  I  thought  they  were  struck  with  my  evi- 
dence. Lord  Milton  asked  me  some  pertinent  questions. 
He  is  eldest  son  to  Lord  Fitzwilliam.  Lord  Althorp  also 
asked  me  questions.  Nothing  could  be  more  civil  and 
polite  than  they  were  all  of  them  to  me.  You  will  smile 
when  you  see  my  evidence.  How  sorry  I  am  that  you  and 
my  family  are  not  here  about  me,  my  own,  own  darling  love.4 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife. 

Cooke's,  Albemarle  St.,  London :  about  28  February  [1825J. 

My  own,  own  Love, — I  have  succeeded,  love.  I  was 
sincerely  afraid  of  a  failure,  I  know  well  that  you  were  not; 
but,  darling,  my  mind  is  at  ease.  I  have,  I  may  tell  you, 
succeeded.  I  had  the  meeting  as  cheering  and  as  enthu- 
siastic as  ever  a  Dublin  aggregate  could  be.  Lavalette 
Bruce — the  Bruce  who  assisted  at  the  escape  of  Lavalette 
— was  there.  He  is  a  fastidious,  but  fashionable  person, 
and  has  carried  my  fame  through  the  fashionable  clubs. 

8  Dr.  Henr  Bathurst.  Born  original,  but  it  previously  appeared 
1744,  died  1837.  His  son  and  with  several  interesting  papers  ad- 
daughter  became  Boman  Catholics  dressed  to  O'Connell  in  the  Irith 

4  This  letter  is  printed  from  the  Monthly. 


104    COERESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  m. 

In  short,  the  thing  has  gone  off  infinitely  better  than  I  did 
or  could  expect. 

On  Thursday  I  was  in  the  House  of  Lords  an  object  of 
some  curiosity.  The  Duke  of  Leinster  was  civil  to  me,  but 
not  in  the  manner  mentioned  in  the  newspapers.  Indeed, 
he  was  very  civil.  I  wrote  to  you  on  Friday.  I  take  up 
the  Journal  with  Saturday.  On  that  day  the  meeting  was 
held  ;  it  was  full  but  not  crowded ;  you  have  seen  the  report 
of  the  proceedings.  Write  a  line  to  Staunton  5  to  tell  him 
that  the  best  report  of  my  speech  is  in  the  Morning  Herald. 
I  beg  of  him  to  print  that  report.  We  dined  on  Saturday  at 
Lord  Stourton's.  He  contrived  by  asking  me  to  help  him 
in  carving  to  place  me  between  him  and  the  Duke  of  Nor- 
folk, where  I  was  feasted  and  flattered  to  the  highest  degree. 
Lord  Stourton  said  that  neither  Pitt  nor  Fox  was  my  equal. 
Charles  Butler 6  said  that  since  the  days  of  Lord  Chatham 
he  had  heard  nothing  like  me.  So,  darling,  I  was  vain 
enough,  and  I  thought  of  the  sweet  little  woman  I  belong 
to,  and  what  a  sweet  kiss  she  owes  me. 

After  mass  yesterday  we  had  a  meeting  with  Sir  Francis 
Burdett,  Mr.  Brougham,  Lord  Milton,  Mr.  Abercrombie, 
Sir  John  Newport,  the  Knight  of  Kerry,  and  Spring  Eice. 
A  long  discussion  arose  on  the  petition,  and  everything 
was  arranged  for  its  presentation  and  debate  to-morrow. 
There  was  displayed  the  greatest  zeal  and  anxiety  for  our 
success  by  all  the  members.  I  am  quite  satisfied  with  their 
sincerity.  We  are  in  great  expectation  of  carrying  the 
measure  in  the  Commons. 

I  then  dined  with  Mr.  Brougham.  There  were  of  our 
deputation  present,  Lord  Killeen,  Sir  Thomas  Esmonde, 
Hon.  Mr.  Preston,  Sheil,  and  myself.  We  had  four  Dukes 
— the  Duke  of  Sussex,  of  Devonshire,  of  Norfolk,  and  of 
Leinster ;  Sir  Francis  Burdett,  Sir  Henry  Parnell,  Mr. 
Scarlett,7  and  the  leading  Whig  lawyers ;  Alderman  Wood, 

5  A  Dublin  journalist.  bencher  at  Lincoln's  Inn  and  acted 

6  An   eminent   Roman   Catholic      as  Secretary  to  the  Committee  for 
conveyancer.    Born  1750,  died  1832.      the  Repeal  of  the  Penal  Laws. 

The   first   Roman    Catholic    called  ~  Afterwards  Lord  Abinger. 

to  the  Bar  since  1688.     He  was  a 


1825  'FEASTED  AND  FLATTEBED'  105 

and  Mr.  Lambton,8  son-in-law  to  Earl  Grey.  I  was  placed 
between  the  Dukes  of  Devonshire  and  Leinster,  and  oppo- 
site to  the  Duke  of  Sussex.  He  (the  Duke  of  Sussex)  is 
very  zealous  in  our  cause ;  but,  darling,  I  do  not  like  him, 
although  he  was  very  kind  and  courteous  to  me.  He  has  a 
great  deal  of  the  German  trooper9  about  him,  and  yet  his  star 
and  single  golden  garter  have  an  air  that  strikes  one.  I 
was  again  most  flattered,  and  Brougham  spoke  to  me  warmly 
of  the  reports  that  reached  him  of  my  speech. 

This  day  I  spent  principally  with  Plunket.  Lord  Killeen l 
and  I  were  with  him  twice  and  had  much  conversation  with 
him  on  the  great  question.  He  was  much  for  the  Veto,  but 
I  believe  we  beat  him  a  good  deal  out  of  that  and  carried 
him  the  unanimous  protest  of  the  deputies  against  that 
measure.  He  spoke  of  my  being  able  to  do  immense  good, 
and  I  assured  him  that  I  was  as  much  disposed  as  man 
could  be  to  use  that  power  in  order  to  do  good.  Darling, 
you  will  think  that  my  head  is  half  turned  with  all  these 
flatteries.  But  the  cause,  the  sacred  cause  certainly  gains 
ground  daily.  We  are  winning  our  way  with  the  people  and 
with  the  House,  in  spite  of  Peel  and  the  Orange  faction.  I 
am  glad  I  came  over,  at  all  events,  because  I  feel  that  we  have 
accomplished  much  towards  exciting  a  proper  sentiment  in 
England,  and  with  the  blessing  and  assistance  of  God  we 
will  do  much  more. 

Darling,  direct  to  me  here,  and  while  I  remain  send 
Maurice  to  get  the  papers  directed  to  me  here.  I  am  proud 
of  my  Maurice.  Let  him,  however,  check  his  propensity  to 
personality,  which  in  him  is  the  more  dangerous  because  it 
has  an  hereditary  source.  I  am  proud  of  him,  notwithstand- 
ing. My  sweet  fellow  will  do,  if  he  pleases  to  exert  himself. 
Most  affectionately  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

8  Afterwards  Lord    Durham,  of       an  unenviable  notoriety  for  the  out- 
whom  anon.  rages  they  inflicted,  especially   on 

9  During   the   disastrous  period       women. 

of  '98,  Hompech's  Dragoons,  and  a  '  Afterwards  Earl  of  Fingall. 

regiment  called  '  Hessians,'  acquired 


106     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.   n. 

To  James  Sugrue,  Esq. 
Cooke's  Hotel,  Albemarle  St.,  London  :  2nd  March,  1825. 

My  dear  James, — I  believe  I  may  venture  to  say  that 
we  are  to  be  emancipated.  The  tide  has  turned  in  our 
favor ;  and  the  reaction  of  the  injustice  done  us  has  con- 
tributed much  to  our  promised  success. 

I  cannot  write  more  to-day  on  politics  ;  but  I  am  in  the 
highest  hopes.  I  believe  Lord  Liverpool  will  take  up  the 
question. 

To  Mrs.  O'Connett. 

4th  March,  1825. 

My  own  darling  Heart, — I  am  now  writing  to  you  from 
the  Committee  room  of  the  House  of  Commons,  where  I 
am  waiting  to  be  examined.  I  am  literally  more  harried 
here  than  in  Ireland,  because  I  dine  out,  and  being  kept 
much  longer  out  of  bed  I  can  not  rise  until  after  eight. 
Shiel  was  examined  yesterday  at  great  length,  and  a  most 
comical  examination  I  am  told  it  was.  You  can  not,  love, 
see  the  examinations  in  the  newspapers  until  after  they  are 
published  by  the  House — that  will  not  be  for  some  weeks. 
Now,  my  love,  I  have  the  happiness  to  tell  you  that 
emancipation  is,  I  believe,  at  hand.  The  opposition  to  it 
is,  I  believe,  dissolving  fast.  Indeed,  I  am  sure  it  is. 
Yesterday  I  spent  principally  between  Sir  Francis  Burdett 
on  the  one  hand,  and  Mr.  Plunket  on  the  other.  Plunket 
has  been  very  kind  in  his  manner  and  language  to  me, 
and  I  believe  and  am.  sure  he  is  quite  sincere  in  his  desire 
to  emancipate  the  Catholics  in  the  most  conciliatory  manner 
possible.  He  will  have  no  veto  2 — no  arrangements  but 
what  our  own  prelates  desire.  A  provision  will  be  made 
for  our  Clergy,  which,  by  the  bye,  will  be  so  much  the  better 
for  the  friars,  as  it  will  leave  almost  all  the  individual 
donations  free. 

Darling — darling,  since  I  wrote  the  word  '  free '  I  have 
been  under  examination.  Call  my  children  together — tell 

2  See  p.  70,  ante. 


1825  EMANCIPATION  CERTAIN  107 

Danny  to  fling  up  his  cap  for  old  Ireland.  I  have  now  no 
doubt  but  that  we  shall  be  emancipated.  A  great  Orange 
man  from  the  north — Sir  George  Hill3 — but  his  name 
should  not  appear  in  print — has  just  announced  that  a 
number  of  the  English  supporters  of  the  Ministry  are  going 
in  a  body  to  Lord  Liverpool  to  insist  that  he  should  no 
longer  oppose  emancipation.  Tell  Maurice  to  go  off  with 
this  information  to  James  Sugrue  and  to  Cornelius 
McLoghlin.  Let  him  not  name  Sir  George  Hill,  because 
he  is  not  the  only  member  of  Parliament  to  whom  the  in- 
telligence may  be  traced.  But  he  should  announce  the  fact. 
I  am  to-morrow  free  to  write  to  both  those  persons,  and  I 
will  fully.  How  anxious  I  am  that  the  Bishops  were  here  ! 
Doctor  Murray  has  not  an  hour  to  lose.  Darling,  go  to 
him  yourself,  in  your  carriage,  and  tell  him  I  respectfully 
solicited  his  immediate  coming.  I  wrote  to  him  myself  yester- 
day— in  short,  we  have  won  the  game.  May  I  thank  Heaven 
that  it  was  your  husband,  sweetest,  that  won  it.  If  I  had 
not  been  here  nothing  would  have  been  done.  I  forced  Sir 
Francis  Burdett  to  bring  on  his  motion.  My  examination 
this  day  related  to  every  thing  connected  with  the  Catholics 
in  Ireland — the  people,  the  Church,  the  friars,  the  Priests, 
the  Jesuits,  &c.  &c.  &c.  Colonel  Dawson,  the  brother-in- 
law  of  Peel,  again  assured  me  I  had  done  away  many 
prejudices  of  his.  My  own,  own  heart's  love,  I  am  sorry 
to  remain  away  from  you,  but,  darling  heart,  it  is  necessary. 
Blessed  be  the  great  God,  for  it  all  will  be  right.  The  sup- 
pression of  the  association  will  work  wonders.  Own  darling, 
1  am  in  the  greatest  spirits,  and  I  love  you  the  better  for 
that.  I  forgot  to  speak  of  the  great  charity  dinner  yes- 
terday. I  presided,  and  you  can  not  think  what  a  shaking 
of  hands  I  got  from  the  ladies  after  I  came  out  of  the  chair. 
Do  not  be  jealous,  darling,  you  have,  I  believe,  no  occasion. 

3  Dr.  Madden,  in  his  United  Irish-  of  Tone  in  '98  are  said,  rightly  or 

men  (ii.  p.  120,  121),  gives  a  long  wrongly,   to   have  been  due  to  Sir 

account    of    the    services    rendered  George   Hill,  whom  Madden  styles 

by  Sir  G.  Hill  against  the  popular  '  Tone's  old  college  friend  and  inti- 

party,  and  of  the  rich  rewards   he  mate  acquaintance.'    Sir  George  Hill 

reaped.  The  identification  and  arrest  died  in  1839. 


108    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CON  NELL    CH.  in. 

Lent  agrees  with  me  admirably.     I  have  got  an  old  Douay 
acquaintance  as  my  story  bearer. 

Your  own  tender  and  true, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Edward  Dwyer,  Acting  Secretary  to  the  Catholic 

Association. 
(Confidential.)  London :  14th  March,  1825. 

My  dear  Sir,— I  have  been  so  busily  employed  this  day 
on  Catholic  affairs  as  to  be  totally  unable  to  write  to  or  for 
the  Association.  I  have?  however,  prepared  four  resolutions 
which  Mr.  O'Gorman  will  send  by  this  post  as  suggestions 
for  the  Association,  but  it  will  be  better,  I  think,  to  adjourn 
till  Friday,  in  order  to  give  the  gentlemen  in  Dublin,  who 
take  a  part  in  the  proceedings,  time  to  deliberate  on  their 
resolutions — and  to  give  me  time — which  I  have  not  this 
day — to  state  my  reason  for  its  being  necessary  to  vest  the 
funds  in  a  single  individual.  That,  however,  is  my  decided 
opinion.  If  Lord  Killeen  declines  the  task,  the  Association 
must  fix  on  somebody  else ;  but  in  an  individual  it  must  be 
vested.  With  this  and  some  few  differences  of  a  similar 
nature,  there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  working  the  Catholic 
cause — if  it  shall  be  necessary  hereafter  to  work  it  further. 
But  I  have  great  happiness  in  saying  that  I  do  not  think 
it  will — nay,  I  am  perfectly  convinced  that  Emancipation 
must  take  place  this  session.  In  fact  we  are  now  working 
the  manual  labor  of  it.  The  drafts  of  the  Bills  are  nearly 
ready — that  for  mere  emancipation  is  out  of  my  hands. 

This  letter  must  not  be  printed.  You  will,  however, 
from  it,  procure  the  Association  more  full  details  as  to  the 
termination  of  their  labor  than  have  been  hitherto  stated. 
I  mean  as  to  the  mode  of  expressing  our  submission  to  this 
new  law,  without  injuring  the  cause. 

The  Bishops  are  here,  and  to  them  is  referred  all  ques- 
tions as  to  the  acceptance  of  a  provision,4  and  the  details 
of  such  provision  if  accepted,  which,  without  emancipation, 
could  not  possibly  be. 

4  A  legal  provision  for  the  Roman  Catholic  clergy. 


1825  THE   CATHOLIC  BENT  109 

Everything  is  most  cheering.  Several  of  us  will  go  to- 
morrow to  the  Duke  of  York's  Levee.  Take  care  that  this 
letter  is  not  printed.  But  tell  everybody  that  Emancipa- 
tion is  certain  and  speedy. 

Yours  most  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

P.S.  My  next  letter  will  arrive  on  Thursday.  I  think 
you  should  have  a  meeting  of  the  Committee  read}'  for  the 
arrival  of  that  post,  before  the  last  meeting  of  the  Associa- 
tion is  opened.  You  should  make  provision  for  paying 
Mr.  O'Gorman  for  his  time  here.  His  expenses  he  calcu- 
lates at  about  £70.  Mr.  Sheil  should  also  be  paid  his 
expenses,  and  for  his  time.  I,  of  course,  will  never  accept 
one  shilling.  Again,  let  not  this  letter  be  printed.  Let  no 
man  even  speak  of  paying  me  either  my  expenses,  or  any- 
thing else  to  me. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

London  :  15th  March,  1825. 

My  dear  Dwyer, — For  the  information  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Catholic  Association — but  not  to  be  printed, 
I  give  the  following  opinion. 

1st.  All  the  purposes  for  which  the  Catholic  Eent  was 
collected  remain  perfectly  legal  notwithstanding  the  recent 
Bill  for  the  Suppression  of  the  Association.  Indeed  it 
would  be  impossible  to  render  those  purposes  illegal  without 
creating  great  confusion.  They  remain  untouched. 

2ndly.  Although  the  purposes  of  the  Catholic  Eent 
remain  quite  legal,  yet  these  purposes  cannot  now  be  carried 
into  effect  by  any  Society,  Committee,  or  body  of  persons 
of  a  more  permanent  character  than  for  the  space  of  four- 
teen days.  There  must  not  now  be  any  connection  between 
any  two  bodies  of  persons  thus  acting  either  by  communica- 
tion when  the  plan  is  different,  or  continuation  in  point  of 
time  from  one  period  of  fourteen  days  to  another. 

3rdly.  The  purposes  of  the  Catholic  Eent  as  already 
collected  may  however  be  carried  into  effect  by  any  one 
person  acting  fairly  and  bona  fide.  But  then  such  person, 


110    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     OH.  in. 

although  he  may  get  as  a  gift  the  present  Catholic  Eent  for 
the  present  purposes,  cannot  be  rendered  responsible  to 
any  body  of  persons — and  two  individuals  constitute  a  body 
of  persons. 

4thly.  It  follows  therefore  that  the  only  legal  disposal  of 
the  Catholic  Eent  that  can  now  be  made  is  by  vesting  it  in 
some  one  individual  of  such  integrity  and  honour  as  to  be 
a  sufficient  assurance  of  the  faithful  and  delicate  execution 
of  the  confidential  character  which  such  a  donation  natur- 
ally requires.  It  is  perfectly  plain  that  if  Lord  Killeen 
will  accept  this  donation  we  shall  have  such  an  individual 
as  we  could  desire. 

5thly.  It  will  be  distinctly  understood  that  in  my  opinion 
it  is  utterly  impossible  to  appoint  any  guardians  of  the 
fund,  or  in  short  more  persons  than  one.  You  can  not  pos- 
sibly combine  a  second  person  with  that  one.  It  would  be 
in  all  cases  desirable  that  there  should  be  several  combined 
for  public  purposes  to  manage  the  money,  but  that  would 
now  be  an  unlawful  combination — and  we  must  not  in 
any  way  violate  the  law. 

Gthly.  The  collection  of  the  Catholic  Eent  should  imme- 
diately cease  in  all  quarters.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  our 
present  prospects  preclude  all  fear  of  its  being  necessary 
to  resort  again  to  any  such  measure  ;  but  should  such  neces- 
sity arise  means  can  be  found  to  meet  the  occasion,  and  that 
without  violating  the  law. 

Everything  is  going  on  as  well  as  possible — better  can 
not  be.  The  plan  of  our  bill  has  been  changed  by  one  of 
the  Cabinet  Ministers.  We  thought  to  have  a  bill  read  this 
week.  It  is  now  deemed  more  expedient  to  pledge  both  the 
Lords  and  the  Commons  to  the  measure  in  the  first  instance. 
Accordingly  resolutions  will  again  be  submitted  to  the  Com- 
mons and  carried  there  probably  by  more  than  one  hundred 
majority — perhaps  150 — and  then  submitted  to  the  Lords, 
when  there  will  either  be  no  division  or  a  majority  with  pro- 
bably of  about  twenty,  perhaps  more.  The  bills  will  then 
be  brought  in,  and  no  doubt  exists  of  their  being  carried. 
Mr.  Lawless  had  indeed  published  a  furious  tirade  in  the 


1825  THE   CUP  DASHED  FROM   THE  LIP  111 

Herald  this  morning  calculated  to  do  extreme  mischief  here, 
and  to  raise  a  flame  in  Ireland.  I  look  upon  his  conduct  as 
very  wrong,  and  in  saying  this  I  use  milder  language  than 
the  occasion  justifies.  He  does  not  in  fact  belong  to  the 
deputation.  I  freely  forgive  him  the  base  motives  he  attri- 
butes to  me  such  as  the  selling  the  people  for  a  silk  gown. 
I  would  undertake  to  demonstrate  that  my  journey  here 
will  be  a  loss  altogether  of  £2,000  to  me,  and  this  is  my 
recompense.  Be  it  so. — Most  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNBLL. 

P.S. — Just  come  from  the  Duke  of  York's  levee.  We 
were  received  with  the  greatest  courtesy,  I  would  indeed 
call  it  kindness  if  condescension  were  not  the  fittest  name 
from  the  Eoyal  personage.  I  am  quite  pleased. 

'  Popery  '  rejoiced  in  April  1825  when  the  Bill  of  Emanci- 
pation passed  the  second  reading.  But  the  cup  thus 
raised  to  millions  of  expectant  lips  was  rudely  dashed  aside 
by  the  interposition  of  the  Duke  of  York,  then  heir-apparent 
to  the  throne.  He  rose  in  the  House  of  Lords,  presented 
petitions  against  the  act  of  grace,  made  touching  reference 
to  the  conscientious  antagonism  with  which  his  royal  father 
had  opposed  it  to  death,  and  concluded  with  a  declaration 
that,  in  whatever  situation  in  life  he  might  be  placed,  he 
would  adhere  to  the  principles  thus  enunciated — '  So  help 
me  God !  '  This  speech  was  at  once  printed  in  letters  of 
gold,  and  became  the  watchword  of  Ascendancy,  while  the 
most  intense  bitterness  was  excited  in  the  breast  of  suf- 
fering Ireland.  Vainly  O'Connell  complained  that  the 
Government  which  gave  freedom  to  the  Portuguese  and  to 
the  Catholics  of  South  America  left  seven  millions  of  Irish 
Catholics  degraded  and  enslaved.  It  was  not  because'they 
were  Catholics,  he  said,  for  Catholics  in  doctrine  were  the 
same  everywhere  ;  but  because  they  were  Irishmen.  O'Con- 
nell was  much  condemned  for  alluding  to  the  advanced  age 
of  the  Duke :  how  death  was  the  corrector  of  human  errors, 
being  man's  hour  for  repentance  and  God's  opportunity.5 

It  might  be  supposed  that  the  papers  of  Mr.,  afterwards 
Sir  Thomas,  Wyse,  the  historian  of  the  Catholic  Association,6 

5  See  p.  137,  infra.  January  27,    1887.      In    connection 

6  Letter  of  Miss  Wyse,  London,       with  the  above  remark  see  next  page. 


112    COBBE8PONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  in. 


and  a  leading  light  in  its  councils,  would  have  contained 
many  letters  of  0' Council,  but  on  search  being  made  one 
only  appeared.  It  is  in  answer  to  a  request  to  register  his 
vote  for  the  great  Waterford  election  of  1826.  'O'Connell 
not  only  took  no  part,'  writes  the  representative  of  Mr. 
Wyse,  '  but  discouraged  our  hope  of  rousing  the  Forty 
Shilling  Freeholders  until  a  few  days  before  the  election, 
when  he  became  as  enthusiastic  as  any  one.' 7 

In  fact  it  was  the  revolt  of  these  freeholders  against 
their  landlords  that  crushed  the  power  of  the  Beresfords, 
long  popularly  regarded  as  the  scourge  of  Ireland.  A  fort- 
night elapsed  ere  O'Connell  acknowledged  the  second  of  the 
letters  addressed  to  him  by  Mr.  Wyse.  But  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  recent  disappointment  had  made  him  almost 
despond. 

To  Thomas  Wyse,  Esq. 

Darrynane  :  14  Oct.  1825. 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  most  unfortunately  mislaid  the  letters 
you  did  me  the  honour  to  write  me  on  the  subject  of  re- 
gistering my  freehold  in  Waterford  and  the  Catholic  rent. 
I  am,  therefore,  unable  to  answer  your  letters  with  the 
proper  direction.  It  will  not,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  be  in  my 
power  to  attend  in  Waterford  before  November.  I  must  be 
at  the  Provincial  meeting  on  the  24th  of  this  month  at 
Limerick. 

With  respect  to  the  sum  collected  of  Catholic  rent  it  was 
by  a  vote  transferred  to  Lord  Killeen.  He  is  the  proper 
person,  therefore,  to  be  applied  to  with  respect  to  any  dis- 
posal of  that  money.  It  is  time  for  me  to  avoid  involving 
myself  out  of  my  sphere  in  that  disgusting  obloquy  which 
in  Catholic  affairs  has  always  attended  those  who  have 
struggled  for  this  unfortunate  country.8  I  beg,  therefore, 
respectfully  to  decline  giving  any  opinion  on  this  subject. 

Your  humble  Servant, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


7  His  letters  during  this  struggle 
will  be  found  on  pp.  123-129  of  this 
volume. 

8  The  allusion  to  obloquy  will  be 
explained  by  a  long  letter  of  O'Con- 


nell's  in  the  papers  of  the  day,  and 
having  reference  to  an  attack  made 
on  him  by  Father,  afterwards  Bishop, 
Kinsella,  solely,  as  it  would  seem, 
on  the  ground  of  an  ill-reported 


1825 


BISHOP  DOYLE  PIQUED 


113 


To  the  Rev.  Dr.  Donovan,  Domestic  Prelate  to  Gregory  XVI. 
Merrion  Square,  Dublin :  18th  December,  1825. 

My  respected  Friend, — You  will  attribute  to  the  proper 
cause— extreme  hurry — my  not  answering  letters.  If  I  had 
time,  yours  would  certainly  be  one  of  the  first. 

I  know  you  are  intimate  with  Dr.  Doyle,9  and  in  a  kind 
of  despair  I  write  to  you,  in  strict  confidence,  about  him. 
His  mind  is  full  of  something  towards  me  that  indeed  I  do 
not  understand.  In  truth,  he  is  so  high  in  nay  opinion  ;  I 
respect  and  admire  his  talents  and  qualifications  so  much ; 
I  know  and  feel  his  incalculable  value  ;  I  estimate  the  mag- 
nitude of  his  utility  so  justly,  that  I  can  scarcely  conceal  the 
anguish  his  hostility  to  me  produces.  I  am,  of  course,  con- 
vinced that  such  hostility  arises  from  conscientious  conviction 
in  his  mind.  I  have  said  or  done  something  that  he  judges 
to  be  wrong,  and  his  conduct  to  me  is  certainly  regulated 
by  that  conviction.  The  attack  of  Mr.  Kinsella ;  the 
omitting  to  anticipate  the  provincial  meeting  at  Carlow ; 
the  speech  at  the  College  Dinner  ;  the  interference  the 
next  day,  under  the  supposition  that  I  had  accused  the 

tion  of  my  time  and  property  which 
has  been  devoted  to  Catholic  affairs. 
It  is  natural  that  I  should  overrate 
the  value  of  that  time,  and  be  too 
sensible  of  the  amount  of  such  pro- 
perty. Yet,  till  I  saw  his  letter,  I 
never  felt  regret  for  the  one  or  the 
other.  But  that  letter  gave  rise  to 
feelings  of  a  nature  calculated,  at 
least,  to  make  me  recollect  that  one 
of  the  most  celebrated  of  Boman 
patriots  died  exclaiming  that  "public 
virtue  was  but  a  name."  And  if  this 
sentiment  obtruded  itself  upon  a 
great  man,  why  should  not  so  useless 
and  obscure  an  individual  as  myself 
feel  a  similar  pang,  when  unneces- 
sarily assailed  from  a  quarter  to 
which  I  would  have  fondly  looked 
for  friendship,  for  protection,  for 
patronage  ? ' 

9  The  great  Eoman  Catholic 
Bishop  of  Kildare  and  Leighluu 
Born  1787,  died  1834. 


O'Connell's  vindication, 
dated  July  23,  1825,  thus  began : — 

'  Sir, — I  have  been  twenty-three 
years  engaged  in  the  Catholic  Cause. 
During  that  long  period  many  things 
have  occurred  calculated  to  mortify, 
and  some  to  disgust  me.  But,  either 
the  natural  elasticity  of  my  animal 
spirits,  or  some  other  cause,  pre- 
vented me  from  being  affected  by 
any  of  the  attacks,  whether  open  or 
insidious,  made  upon  me.  I  must, 
however,  acknowledge  that  my  period 
of  apathy  has  terminated.  I  have 
at  length  felt  with  sensitiveness  all 
the  bitterness  of  reproach — and  in 
the  spirit,  perhaps,  of  humiliated 
pride  and  mortified  vanity,  I  sit  down 
to  reply  to  a  strange  and,  I  will  add, 
most  unnecessary  public  assault, 
made  on  me  by  a  very  respectable 
clergyman,  the  Eev.  Mr.  Kinsella,  of 
Carlow  College. 

'  Until  I  saw  his  letter,  I  never 
felt  a  sensation  of  regret  at  the  por- 

VOL.  I. 


114    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ra. 

Prelates  of  inconsistency ;  the  total  absence  of  a  recogni- 
tion of  an  error  in  fact  on  that  subject,  even  after  I  had 
explained  ;  the  personal  salute  which  I  was  obliged  literally 
to  extort  from  him :  all  these  circumstances  convince  me 
that  I  have  said  or  done  something  to  make  Dr.  Doyle 
displeased  with  me.  Could  you,  my  respected  friend,  find 
out  what  it  was  ?  Believe  me,  most  sincerely,  that  I  would 
not  ask  you  to  find  it  out  if  I  were  not  resolved  to  repair  it 
when  discovered.  It  is,  indeed,  painful  to  me  that  a  man 
whom  I  so  unfeignedly  respect  and  reverence  should  enter- 
tain towards  me  sentiments  of  an  adverse  nature.  Perhaps 
it  is  ambition  which  makes  me  desire  his  co-operation 
instead  of  his  opposition.  But  if  it  be,  I  deceive  myself. 
I  think  that  it  is  a  sincere  desire  to  serve  Catholicity  and 
Ireland  which  regulates  my  anxiety  to  have  his  countenance 
and  protection.  Do  not,  I  beg  of  you,  let  him  know  I  have 
written  to  you  on  this  subject.  I  write  merely  to  throw  off 
a  burden  from  my  heart  and  feelings,  and  with  the  simple 
wish  of  procuring  such  information  as  may  enable  me  to 
avoid  in  future  that  which  has  created  present  displeasure 
to  him. 

I  have  written  unconnectedly,  but  that  is  because  I  feel 
more  on  this  subject  than  I  can  express. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell,  in  his  anxiety  to  grasp  the  boon  of  Emancipa- 
tion, consented  that  it  should  be  accompanied  by  what  were 
styled  the  '  wings ' — i.e.  pensioning  the  clergy  and  the  dis- 
franchisement  of  the  forty  shilling  freeholders.  He  publicly 
declared  that  in  taking  this  course  he  had  the  full  con- 
currence of  Bishops  Doyle  and  Murray.  Dr.  Doyle,  at  a 
meeting  held  in  Carlow  some  months  later,  said  :  '  What  my 
opinion  was  I  declared  in  London  to  my  right  reverend 
brethren ;  I  repeated  it  since  in  Dublin :  that  if  the  prelates 
were  led  to  approve  of  a  provision  emanating  from  the 
Treasury — if  the  ministers  of  Christ  were  to  be  paid  by  the 
ministers  of  State  for  dispensing  the  mysteries  of  God — 
then,  in  that  case,  I  would  not  create  dissension  amongst 
them ;  but  sooner  than  that  my  hand  should  be  soiled  by 


1826  THE  RIBBON   CONSPIRACY  115 

it,  I  would  lay  down  my  office  at  the  feet  of  him  who  con- 
ferred it,  for  if  my  hand  were  to  be  stained  with  Government 
money  it  should  never  grasp  a  crozier,  or  a  mitre  ever 
afterwards  be  fitted  to  my  brow.  This  was,  and  is,  my  fixed 
determination.' 


To  the  Right  Hon.  W.  C.  Plunket,  Attorney-General. 

March  7th,  1826. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  regret  that  I  feel  it  a  duty  to  inform 
you  that  the  accounts  from  the  country  by  those  who  are 
well  acquainted  with  the  people  are  terrific.  The  Eibbon 
connection  has  assumed  a  new  form.  There  is  now  no 
oath,  nor  any  very  distinct  assertion  of  object.  It  is  spread- 
ing fast  through  Leinster — in  the  Southern  counties  almost 
as  much  as  in  the  Northern.  It  has  got  extensively  into 
Connaught  and  Munster.  It  has  its  origin  in  the  North. 
The  Orangemen  of  Cavan  and  Fermanagh  have  armed 
themselves  with  daggers  of  about  fourteen  inches  in  length 
in  the  blade,  or — what  is  nearly  as  bad — the  lower  orders  of 
Catholics  have  been  made  to  believe  that  they  are  so  armed, 
and  in  consequence  of  such  report  the  Eibbonmen  are  get- 
ting similar  arms.  It  is  sought  not  to  involve  the  married 
men  in  this  society,  but  all  the  unmarried  peasants  are 
expected  to  join  it.  One  priest  assured  me  that  no  less 
than  seven  youths  in  his  parish  of  regular  habits  left  his 
Confessional  rather  than  renounce  the  system,  or  abstain 
from  supporting  it.  I  have  no  remedy  to  suggest  save  the 
increase  of  the  King's  troops  in  Ireland.  The  exhibition  of 
such  a  force  may  alone  do  good.  The  Yeomanry  are  worse 
than  useless.  I  have  done  my  duty  hi  communicating 
these  facts  to  you.  Those  who  gave  me  this  information 
cannot  be  deceived,  and  are  themselves  greatly  horrified. 
The  diminution  of  the  currency  in  both  countries  will  cer- 
tainly create  still  greater  distress  among  our  landholders, 
and,  of  course,  increase  the  tendency  to  Whiteboyism  of 
every  species. 

Believe  me,  &c.  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

i  2 


116     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  iv. 


CHAPTEE  IV. 

Continuance  of  Agitation — Eeception  at  Kathkeale — A  Picturesque  Picture 

Forensic  Triumphs  —  Succeeds  to  Darrynane  —  A  Woman  hanged 

under  horrible  circumstances — Dismal  Week  at  the  Cork  Assizes — 
Eevolt  of  the  Forty  Shilling  Freeholders — The  Waterford  Election  of 

1826 Beresford  beaten — Election  Eiot — Another  Duel — The   Order  of 

Liberators — Lord  Cloncurry  Grand  Master — Ludicrous  Scene  at  a  Ball 

The  Knight  of  the  Eueful  Visage — The  Church  Establishment— Death 

of  the  Duke  of  York — Lord  Lansdowne — Defeat  of  Sir  F.  Burdett's  Motion 

Death   of  the  Prime   Minister,  Lord  Liverpool — Canning  takes  the 

Eeins — Hope  burns  brightly  in  Ireland — O'Connell  helps  to  make  the 
Government — Lord  Chancellor  Manners — Lord  Norbury  again — Death 
of  Canning — The  Goderich  and  Wellington  Administrations — Lord 
Anglesey  Viceroy — Simultaneous  Meetings. 

THE  sittings  of  the  Catholic  Association  had  extended 
over  months,  dealt  with  divers  subjects,  and  presented 
the  aspect  of  a  mimic  parliament.  Partly  to  remove  this 
resemblance,  Goulburn's  Act,  suppressing  it,  limited  the 
duration  of  all  meetings  for  petitioning  to  fourteen  days. 

In  Peel's  '  Memoirs '  may  be  seen  several  '  opinions/ 
signed  by  the  Law  officers  of  the  Crown,  showing  how  various 
attempts  to  suppress  the  Association  had  been  evaded  and 
foiled.  The  proceedings  so  familiar  to  students  of  old  news- 
paper files,  under  the  heading  'Fourteen  Days'  Meetings,' 
were  now  instituted,  as  well  as  '  Aggregate  meetings  '  and 
monster  provincial  assemblages.  Every  county  in  Ireland 
convened  its  thousands,  friendly  members  of  other  creeds 
came  on  invitation,  Protestant  and  Catholic  stood  shoulder 
to  shoulder ;  they  deliberated  and  declaimed,  and  at  the 
close  usually  dined  at  a  board  more  genial  and  united  than 
the  Catholic  board  had  been  in  its  best  day.  These  con- 
ventions had  a  powerful  effect  in  knitting  together  two 
forces  hitherto  detached,  and  inspiring  mutual  confidence 
and  respect.  The  burning  speeches  that  fell  at  the  pro- 
vincial meetings  seared  their  way  into  the  hearts  of  the 
peasantry  and  set  their  souls  on  fire.  The  fact  soon 
became  patent  that  Parliament  was  powerless  to  seal  the 


1826 


1A   SCENE  FOB  A  PAINTEE1 


117 


mouths  of  millions.  Thanks  to  the  energy  and  eloquence 
of  O'Connell,  nowhere  was  the  right  to  complain  more 
boldly  enunciated  than  at  Limerick,  where  the  first  of  the 
provincial  gatherings  for  the  redress  of  grievances  was  held 
under  the  auspices  of  Mr.,  afterwards  the  Eight  Hon.  Sir, 
Thomas  Wyse.1  Between  popular  ovations  and  forensic 
triumphs  O'Connell  was  tolerably  busy  all  this  time. 

To  his  Wife. 

Tralee  :  18th  March,  1826. 

My  own  sweetest  Love, — If  I  were  to  remain  in  Tralee, 
you  would  certainly  make  a  rake  of  me,  and  I  will  tell  you 
how.  The  post  does  not  come  in  until  past  ten  at  night, 
and  then  you  would  keep  me  up  until  after  the  letters  were 
given  out.  I  came  here  yesterday  from  Limerick.  We 
had  Mass  at  my  Lodgings,  and  were  able  to  leave  it  by  six 
in  the  morning.  I  got  to  Eathkeale  ; 2  an  immense  multi- 
tude collected,  who  took  the  horses  from  my  carriage,  and 
with  a  piper,  fife,  and  fiddle,  and  flag,  carried  me  about  a 
mile  out  of  the  town.  They  took  me  to  the  avenue  leading 
to  the  house  of  Mr.  Koche — Howley's  father-in-law.  It 
must  have  annoyed  some  of  the  Orange  bigots  of  that 
neighbourhood  not  a  little.  I  got  here  before  six  in  the 
evening.  It  was  one  of  the  pleasantest  days  for  travelling 
I  ever  experienced  in  my  life,  and  the  view  of  Tralee  Bay, 
with  the  declining  sun  making  the  sea  quite  a  flood  of  gold, 
and  the  majestic  mountains  in  various  masses  skirting 
the  opposite  side,  with  vapours  assuming  the  consistency 
of  white  clouds,  covering  a  portion  of  the  hills  here  and 
there,  but  leaving  the  base  and  summit  in  every  spot 
plainly  visible.  It  was  a  scene  for  a  painter,  and  made  me 
half  poetic  and  entirely  patriotic.  I  do  love  the  beauteous 
land  of  my  birth.  I  have  had  four  record  briefs,  but  there 


1  Mr.  Wyse  was  a  Lord  of  the 
Treasury  from  1839  to  1841 ;  Secre- 
tary to  the  Board  of  Control  from  1846 
to  1849 ;  and  Minister  at  Athens  from 
1849  until  his  death  in  1862.  Much 
responsibility  devolved  upon  him 
during  the  Crimean  War,  and  his 
despatches  evince  lucidity  and 


strength.  For  a  powerful  picture  of 
O'Connell  at  this  period  the  reader 
should  see  Wyse's  History  of  the 
Cattwlic  Association,  vol.  i.  pp.  197- 
244. 

2  A  village  in  the  county  Lime- 
rick. 


118     COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 


were  only  three  entered  for  trial.  One  was  tried  ;  one 
withdrawn  ;  and  the  third  referred  to  me,  so  that  the  civil 
business  is  already  quite  over.  There  is  a  good  deal  of 
criminal  business,  which  I  hate,  and  of  course  a  good  crop  of 
civil  bill  appeals,  which  although  too  small  for  other  assizes 
are  taken  into  the  net.  I  write  a  long  letter  by  this  post 
to  Maurice.  I  hope  he  will  attend  to  it  at  once.  Let  me 
know  when  he  does,  that  I  may  write  another  letter  to  him  ; 
but  if  one  letter  were  to  overtake  another  uncopied,  he  would 
soon  neglect  all.  He  should  read  each  letter  a  couple  of 
times  attentively,  and  then  copy  it  into  a  book.  'Give  my 
more  than  tender  love  to  our  children.  My  Kate  liked  the 
ball,3  1  hope.  Did  Lady  Wellesley  4  say  anything  to  them  ? 
Or  was  it  like  a  levee,  a  curtsey  and  away  ?  Darling,  tell 
my  Maurice  I  beg  of  him  to  attend  to  his  legal  studies.  — 


ver' 


Yours  most  tenderly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife. 

Tralee  :  18th  March,  1826. 

My  own  Love,  —  Your  good  news  of  my  dear  Fitz  Simon5 
came  to  cheer  me  last  night  as  I  was  going  to  bed,  and 
contributed  to  keep  me  awake  until  after  twelve.  I  rose 
about  six  this  morning,  and  now  feel  so  sleepy  that  I  will 
go  to  bed  as  soon  as  I  finish  this  hasty  letter.  I  can  now 
afford  to  leave  my  letters  in  the  post  office  till  morning.  .  .  . 
All  our  buildings  [at  Darrinane]  are  going  on  gaily.  John  6 
O'Connell  is  planting  the  world  and  all.  I  hope  I  will  be  able 
to  prevail  on  my  daughters  to  come  down  very  very  early 
next  summer.  It  would  be  a  very  great  object  to  me  to  get 
rid  of  a  £1,000  of  my  debts  during  the  two  next  terms.  If 
I  were  able  to  do  that  out  of  my  profession,  I  would  soon  be 
altogether  free.  How  I  long  for  that  day,  darling.  Nothing, 


3  At  Dublin  Castle. 

4  The   wife   of  the   Lord  Lieu- 
tenant— the  '  Lady  Lieutenant,'  as 
Dublin  society  called  her. 

5  His  son-in-law. 


6  Brother  of  Sir  Maurice  O'Connell, 
sometime  Governor  of  New  South 
Wales.  He  lived  at  Darrynane,  and 
superintended  the  building  and  plant- 
ing in  '  the  Counsellor's  '  absence. 


1826  DARBYNANE  119 

however, but  some  substantial  remaining7  at  Darrinane,  with- 
out anything  like  an  establishment  in  Dublin,  will  do  it. 
Your  ever  tender  and  most  true, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Tralee  :  21t  March,  1826,  Tuesday. 

My  darling  Love, — I  merely  hope  that  your  pains  have 
left  you,  for  I  perceive  with  sorrow  that  you  do  not  say  that 
they  have.  Do,  my  darling,  tell  me  precisely  how  you 
are,  and  if  possible  give  consolatory  news.  Darling,  the 
assizes  are  nearly  over.  The  man  and  woman  have  been 
convicted  for  the  murder  of  her  former  husband.  The  evi 
dence  was  by  no  means  satisfactory,  but  they  were 
believe,  really  guilty.  The  woman  is  large  with  child 
and  can  not  be  executed  until  after  she  is  brought  to  bed. 
What  a  horrible  state  for  the  wretched  being  to  be  in  !  I 
have  but  one  brief  remaining,  but  I  do  not  mean  to  leave 
this  until  late  on  Thursday,  just  in  time  to  go  to  Kil- 
larney  that  evening.  The  next  day,  please  God,  I  will 
arrive  at  an  early  hour  in  Cork,  and  I  must  find  letters 
from  you  before  me  there.  My  own  opinion  is  that  the 
Cork  assizes  will  be  driven  very  close  to  an  end  by  Satur- 
day, the  2nd  of  April.  These  judges  do  an  immense  deal 
of  business  in  seven  working  days.  I  will  have  but  two 
days  at  Darrinane.8  I  go  there  merely  to  take  care  that 
the  place  shall  be  ready  at  an  early  period  in  summer  for 
your  reception.  I  am  not  a  little  impatient  to  have  all  my 
building  then  quite  finished  and  at  an  end.  ...  I  delight  to 
indulge  myself  in  writing  of  my  children.  Darling,  talk  to 
them  of  their  father  in  terms  of  the  fondest  kindness.  Tell 
them  I  rave  of  their  sweetness  and  goodness,  and  fold  to 
your  heart  the  fond  consciousness  of  being  the  most  loved 
woman  in  the  world,  for,  darling,  you  are  doated  of  in  the 
inmost  heart  of 

Your  ever  fond 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

7  '  Permanent  residence  '  is  evi-       ing  Cap  '  (p.  2,   ante)  he  had  just 
dently  meant.  succeeded  to  Darrynane. 

8  By  the  death   of   '  Old  Hunt- 


120     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 

To  his  Wife. 

Tralee  :  22d  March,  1826. 

My  darling  Love, — I  can  not  hear  from  you,  darling, 
from  this  till  Friday  evening,  that  is  from  this  night.  That, 
darling,  is  another  melancholy  fact  to  me.  I  do  not, 
sweetest,  like  this  week  at  all  as  far  as  my  personal  con- 
venience is  concerned.  It  is  indeed  a  dismal  week.  But 
Easter  is  now  very,  very  near.  Darling,  I  will  send  you 
money  as  soon  as  I  arrive  in  Cork,  and  you  may  easily  be- 
lieve me  when  I  tell  you  that  I  will  be  greatly  impatient  to 
be  again  with  you  and  my  darling  children.  I  gave  your 
scolding  message  to  Miss  Connor.  I  am  to  get  credit  for 
eleven  shillings  British,  or  as  the  common  people  here  call 
it,  Protestant  money,  from  Betsey.  I  dined  at  Eick's  this 
day,  when  we  had  an  excellent  dinner  of  various  fish ;  but 
fish,  darling,  is  a  rascally  article.  I  have  the  most  cordial 
and  popish  hatred  of  fish  of  every  kind.  The  assizes  are 
now  all  over,  save  presentments  and  other  matters  of  mere 
routine.  The  unfortunate  woman  lay  in  last  night  after 
her  sentence  was  pronounced,  and  will  therefore  be  executed 
in  a  few  days.  The  execution  would  have  been  long  post- 
poned, if  her  horror  and  affright  had  not  caused  a  prema- 
ture confinement.  What  an  unhappy  wretch  !  May  her 
great  God  be  merciful  to  her.  I  have  no  kind  of  Kerry 
news  to  send  you.  The  county  is  as  dull  as  dulness  can 
possibly  be.  They  attempted  to  get  up  a  ball,  but  it  was 
put  down  by  universal  consent.  Darling,  your  disappoint- 
ment at  not  having  your  visit  returned 9  shows  how  idle  it 
would  be  to  attach  any  importance  to  courtly  smiles.  I  am 
quite  sure  you  do  not ;  but  it  is  the  more  unaccountable 
because  Serjeant  Goold  assured  me  that  the  Lord  Lieut, 
declared  he  would  invite  us  both  to  one  of  his  state  dinners. 
What  a  grand  little  woman  you  will  be  then,  my  sweet, 
darling  heart ! 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

9  Formerly  the  wife  of  the  Lord  Lieutenant  left  cards  on  the  ladies  who 
attended  her  Drawing-rooms. 


1826  REVOLT   OF  THE  FREEHOLDERS  121 

To  his  Wife. 

Cork  :  3d  April,  1826.' 

My  own  sweet  Love, — This  rascally  assizes  will,  I  think, 
never  be  over.  I  have  altogether  six  briefs  undisposed  of. 
I  do  not  think  to-morrow  will  finish  the  entire.  And  then 
I  have  to  arrange  every  thing  else  for  my  departure.  I 
have,  however,  had  the  happiness  to  close  with  Hedges  for 
the  young  O'Sullivans,  and  now  that  family  is  safe  and  in- 
dependent. That  is  some  comfort  to  your  husband,  God's 
holy  name  be  praised  and  glorified.  How  I  long  for  to- 
morrow evening,  to  tell  me  how  my  sweet  darling  boy  is. 
How  miserable  could  he  make  me.  ...  I  should  rather 
travel  on  Thursday,  as  I  hate  travelling  on  a  fish  day,  and 
besides,  I  am  not  a  little  impatient  to  be  at  home.  I  found, 
darling,  that  whiskey  is  extremely  cheap  at  present.  It  is 
as  low  as  5s.  9d.  a  gallon.  I  have  availed  myself  of  the 
cheapness  to  send  a  tierce  of  it  containing  43  gallons  to 
Darrinane,  not  to  be  opened  until  after  your  arrival  there. 
Jt  will  be  the  better  for  lying  by  much  longer,  and  I  hope  to 
continue  to  give  it  age.  If  I  can  get  down  from  Dublin 
another  cask  of  excellent  spirits,  we  will  manage  them,  love, 
in  great  style.  At  all  events,  we  will  not  have  occasion  to 
be  sending  for  them  in  small  quantities.  The  business  I 
have  now  to  detain  me  here  are  six  briefs ;  those  I  hope 
to  get  over  to-morrow.  .  .  .  Darling,  you  are  most  loved 

by,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

It  had  long  been  customary  in  Ireland  for  the  land- 
lords at  elections  to  drive  their  tenants  to  the  booths,  like 
sheep  to  their  pens,  but  this  docility  now  gave  place  to  a 
stubborn  stand.  The  year  1826  was  made  memorable  by 
the  revolt  of  the  '  forty-shilling  freeholders,1  and  Waterford 
was  won  from  the  Beresfords.  Under  pressure,  or  corrupt 
influence,  a  very  Catholic  constituency  had  heretofore  sent 
to  Parliament  a  foe  to  their  civil  and  religious  freedom. 
Every  lucrative  post  had  long  been  notoriously  in  the  gift 

1  The  postage  on  this  letter  to  Dublin  was  la.  8d. 


122     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv, 

of  the  Beresfords.     It  was  time  to  resist  this  huge  mono- 
poly, and  Mr.  Villiers  Stuart  volunteered  to  grapple  with  it. 

Dromana :  19th  June,  1826. 

My  own  sweet  Love, — Here  I  am  at  this  lovely  spot.2  I 
believe  it  is  that  which  Lady  Morgan  makes  the  scene  of 
many  of  the  incidents  in  '  Florence  McCarthy.'  It  is  really 
a  beautiful  situation.  As  to  yesterday,  first,  I  wrote  to  you 
from  Waterford  and  enclosed  you  a  cheque  for  £35  ;  next, 
sweetest,  we  heard  an  early  mass  at  Waterford  and  then 
started  for  Dungarvan.  We  breakfasted  at  Kilmacthomas, 
a  town  belonging  to  the  Beresfords,  but  the  people  belong 
to  us.  They  came  out  to  meet  us  with  green  boughs  and 
such  shouting  you  can  have  no  idea  of.  I  harangued  them 
from  the  window  of  the  inn,  and  we  had  a  good  deal  of 
laughing  at  the  Beresfords.  Judge  what  the  popular  feel- 
ing must  be  when  in  this,  a  Beresford  town,  every  man  their 
tenant,  we  had  such  a  reception.  A  few  miles  farther  on 
we  found  a  chapel  with  the  congregation  assembled  before 
mass.  The  Priest  made  me  come  out  and  I  addressed  his 
flock,  being  my  second  speech.  The  freeholders  here  were 
the  tenants  of  a  Mr.  Palliser,  who  is  on  the  adverse  interest, 
but  almost  all  of  them  will  vote  for  us.  We  then  proceeded 
to  Dungarvan  on  the  coast.  There  are  here  about  four 
hundred  voters  belonging  to  the  Duke  of  Devonshire.  His 
agents  have  acted  a  most  treacherous  part  by  us,  and  our 
committee  at  Waterford  were  afraid  openly  to  attack  these 
voters  lest  the  Duke  should  complain  of  our  violating  what 
he  calls  his  neutrality.  But  I  deemed  that  all  sheer  nonsense, 
and  to  work  we  went.  We  had  a  most  tremendous  meet- 
ing here ;  we  harangued  the  people  from  a  platform  erected 
by  the  walls  of  a  new  chapel.  I  never  could  form  a  notion 
of  the  great  effect  of  popular  declamation  before  yesterday. 
The  clergy  of  the  town  most  zealously  assisted  us.  We 
have,  I  believe,  completely  triumphed,  and  I  at  present  am 
convinced  we  shall  poll  to  the  last  man  of  these  voters. 
We  then  had  a  public  dinner  and  great  speeching.  We 

2  Eesidence  of  Mr.  Villiers  Stuart. 


1826  VICTORY  OF    VILLIEES  STUABT  123 

broke  up  about  nine,  and  Wyse  and  I  came  here  with  Mr. 
Stuart  in  his  carriage.  We  arrived  about  half  after  ten, 
and  are  going  this  day  to  Lismore  on  another  mission. 

I  cannot  tell  you  what  a  sweet  spot  this  is.  The  tide 
rises  to  a  considerable  distance  away,  and  gives  this  noble 
river  a  most  majestic  appearance.  Darling,  I  must  give  up 
poetic  ideas  and  tell  you  in  plain  prose  that  I  do  doat  on  you 
and  your  children. 

Yours  and  yours  only, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Villiers  Stuart  retained  O'Connell  as  his  counsel;  but 
in  order  to  give  the  latter  a  claim  to  state  his  views  from 
the  hustings,  he  was  proposed  as  a  fit  person  to  represent 
the  county.  O'Connell's  speech — one  of  the  most  striking 
that  ever  fell  even  from  him — lasted  for  two  hours.  He 
reminded  the  crowd  which  surged  around  him,  that  too 
long  had  they  been  forced  to  vote  for  the  degradation  of 
then:  religion  and  for  the  enslavement  of  themselves,  their 
children,  and  their  country.  He  closed  with  an  assurance 
that,  unwilling  to  disturb  the  unanimity  of  the  county,  he 
would  withdraw  his  personal  pretensions.  The  Beresford 
standard  was  marked  by  general  desertion ;  men  who  got 
bribes  displayed  them  in  open  court,  and  on  the  fifth  day 
of  the  contest  Lord  George  Beresford  retired,  leaving  Villiers 
Stuart  master  of  the  field.  But  the  tenants,  who  had 
broken  through  their  thraldom,  were  soon  overtaken  by 
reprisal.  Arrears  of  rent  were  exacted,  and  the  forty-shilling 
freeholders  were  driven  from  their  homes ;  however,  they 
carried  out  heroically  the  revolution  begun,  and  two  years 
later  returned  O'Connell  himself  for  Clare.  Sheil  confessed 
that  he  did  not  expect  to  find  such  virtue  under  rags.  The 
following  letters  furnish  a  record  of  the  week's  work. 

To  his  Wife. 

Waterford :  21st  June,  1826. 

My  darling  Heart, — I  found  yesterday,  on  my  arrival  from 
Dromana,  two  letters  from  you,  which  were,  you  will  believe 
it,  no  small  cordial  to  my  spirits.  I  love  you,  darling  Mary, 
in  my  heart's  tenderest  core  .  .  .  Though  you  appear  so 
anxious  to  be  off  for  Kerry  before  my  arrival  in  Dublin,  I 


124     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 

hope  I  will  disappoint  you.  I  should  so  like  to  disappoint 
you,  and  my  hopes  are  founded  on  this — that  the  election  of 
Stuart  now  appears  to  me  quite  certain.  I  took  my  former 
opinion  from  timid  persons  here ;  my  present  is  founded 
on  actual  experience.  The  Priests  have  gained  over  a  suf- 
ficient number  of  the  adverse  voters  to  insure  us  a  decided 
majority.  We  have  already  in  town  a  sufficient  number 
of  the  enemy's  forces  to  decide  the  victory.  When  I  wrote 
last  on  Monday  I  was  at  Dromana.  We  started  soon 
after  for  Cappoquin  and  Lismore,  through  the  loveliest 
scenes  in  nature.  I  was  with  Stuart  in  his  own  chaise  with 
four  horses,  but  we  had  no  great  occasion,  for  they  were 
taken  off  before  we  got  to  Cappoquin,  and  we  were  drawn 
by  freeholders  three  miles  into  Lismore.  I  never  had  a 
notion  of  popular  enthusiasm  till  I  saw  that  scene.  My 
name  was  often  and  often  mixed  with  his.  There  were 
thousands  covering  the  precipitous  banks  of  the  Blackwater 
at  Lismore.  The  chapel  is  extremely  spacious.  It  was 
crowded  to  suffocation.  We  made  several  harangues,  and 
your  husband  was  as  usual  much  cheered ;  but,  what  was 
better,  the  freeholders  crowded  in  and  put  down  their  names 
in  groups,  and  they  are  all  now  arriving  in  shoals.  The 
Duke  of  Devonshire  was  to  have  been  neutral,  but  I  believe 
I  have  helped  to  put  an  end  to  his  absurd  notion  of  neu- 
trality. Now,  darling,  you  wished  to  take  some  of  the  pre- 
sent furniture  to  Darrinane.  Do  so,  darling  ;  take  as  much 
of  it  as  you  choose.  I  refused  -you  this  before,  now  I  am 
sorry  I  refused  you  anything.  I  believe  I  will  send  James 
up  to  help  you  to  pack,  but  to-morrow's  letter  will  enable 
me  to  decide. 

Yours  most  tenderly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife. 

Waterford :  22d  June,  1826. 

Darling, — You  could  not  deceive  me,  darling,  and  you 
never  never  wilfully  did  so.  The  moment  I  read  the 
passage  in  your  letter  which  said  that  Kate  would  write  to 


1826  HIS  CHILDREN  125 

me  the  next  day,  I  felt  that  you  were  conscious  of  an 
approaching  heavy  fit  of  illness — and  oh  !  how  bitterly  have 
my  fears  been  realised  !  You  are,  darling,  very  ill,  otherwise 
there  would  be  one  fond  line  from  that  hand  which  delighted 
my  youthful  love  and  does  indeed,  darling,  cheer  the  begin- 
ning autumn  of  my  life.  Sweetest,  however,  I  now  forbid 
you  to  write  one,  even  one  line  until  you  are  out  of  bed. 
If  you  love  me,  darling,  you  will  not  write  a  line  till  you  are 
able  to  write  an  entire  letter.  [His  daughter  Kate  is  re- 
ferred to.]  Nell  is  more  like  me,  and  I  love  her  with  an 
enthusiasm  which  is  the  most  tender  and  sweet  sensation 
that  any  man  can  experience.  Kate  is  like  you,  Mary,  in 
one  thousand  things.  She  reminds  me  of  you  when  you 
were  a  girl,  and  her  dear  darling  heart,  which  almost  breaks 
when  her  poor  dog  is  sick,  recalls  the  tenderness  with 
which  my  clumsy  efforts  to  express  my  love  to  my  Mary 
were  met.  I  love,  darling,  that  dog  of  Kate's.  I  love  any- 
thing that  her  love  rests  upon.  Darling,  I  thus  run  on 
raving  and  letting  my  heart  flow  on  you,  early  and  only 
love.  ...  I  am  sure  dearest  Maurice  and  his  sisters  are 
attentive  to  you ;  and  if  Danny  inherits  with  his  father's 
gaiety  something  of  his  father's  feelings,  he  will  walk 
slowly,  and  slide  along  without  noise,  while  the  poor  '  miid ' 
that  idolises  him  is  ill,  my  Mary.  But  I  must  not  indulge 
in  these  topics. 

Darling,  if  I  were  in  spirits  I  would  tell  you  with  an  air 
of  triumph  that  the  return  of  Stuart  is  now  nearly  certain. 
Indeed  I  think  quite  certain. 

Your  most  faithful 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife. 

Waterford  :  June  23rd,  1826. 

I  write  only  to  say,  darling  love,  that  I  will  not  have 
one  moment  of  happiness  till  I  see  a  letter  in  your  own 
handwriting ;  and  yet  do  not — do  not,  sweetest,  run  any  risk 
by  attempting  to  write  before  you  are  perfectly  able  to  do 
so.  I  can  not  avoid  telling  you  that  we  are  winning  fast 


126     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CON  NELL     CH.  iv. 

on  this  day's  poll,  and  on  this  day  alone  we  shall  have,  I 
hope,  a  majority  of  from  sixty  to  one  hundred.  I  can  not 
write  more ;  I  am  out  of  spirits. 

To  his  Wife. 

Waterford  :  25th  June,  1826,  Sunday. 

My  own  sweet  darling  Mary, — Need  I  tell  you  that  I  was 
delighted  to  get  a  letter  all  in  your  own  handwriting? — 
but  I  was  a  little  uneasy  at  its  being  so  long  lest  you 
should  thereby  have  incommoded  yourself ;  and  yet,  sweet 
Mary,  I  do  like  to  get  a  long  letter  from  you.  Now,  saucy  little 
woman,  let  me  scold  you  for  getting  this  attack.  I  will  lay  a 
pound  to  a  penny  that  I  know  how  you  got  it.  The  hot 
weather  made  you  dress  lighter,  and  so  in  this  climate,  it 
not  being  capable  of  being  done  with  impunity,  you  caught 
cold.  Do  not  deny  it,  sweetest,  like  a  little  Jibbing  old  woman 
as  you  are.  For  my  part,  I  continue  to  wear  my  winter 
dress  except  my  cloak,  and  even  that  I  put  on  after  nine  in 
the  evening  if  I  go  out.  But  I  never,  thank  God,  enjoyed 
better  health.  There  is  all  the  buoyancy  of  youthful  spirits 
about  me  now  that  you  are  well,  and  all  the  racy  triumphs 
at  the  success  of  agitation,  which  an  agitator  by  profession 
can  alone  enjoy.  Indeed,  darling,  as  you  are  better  I  am 
happy.  The  Beresfords  are  determined  to  die  hard.  They 
will  continue  the  poll  to-morrow,  and  probably  Tuesday, 
but  I  think  they  must  be  exhausted  by  Tuesday  at  the  latest. 
The  moment  the  election  is  over  I  will  fly  to  you. 

To  his  Wife. 

Waterford  :  26th  June,  1826,  Monday. 

I  had  no  chance,  my  darling,  of  hearing  from  you  this 
day,  and  yet  I  feel  melancholy  at  being  obliged  to  wait  till 
to-morrow,  in  order  to  ascertain  how  your  cold  gets  on.  In 
other  respects  I  have  every  reason  to  be  in  spirits.  We  are 
beating  those  bigotted  and  tyrannical  wretches ;  they  are  now 
practising  every  species  of  delay  and  spinning  out  the  time. 
The  fact  is  there  is  no  artifice  whatsoever  but  is  resorted 


1826  AN  ELECTION  RIOT  127 

to  in  order  to  gain  time.  At  this  rate  we  will  not  be  out  of 
this  before  Saturday,  or  at  least  Thursday.  Nothing  can  be 
more  vexatious  to  a  person  so  impatient  as  I  am  to  be  with 
you  and  my  darlings — but  we  are  beating  the  scoundrels  in 
such  style  that  it  is  quite  a  comfort  to  me  in  this  delay  to 
gain  such  a  victory  over  them.  It  is  really  ludicrous  the 
length  they  go  to  in  delaying  us — so  much  so  that  I  am 
delaying  you  by  this  tedious  account  of  the  delays  of  others. 
I  am  writing  in  a  crowded  court,  where  I  came  at  nine 
o'clock,  and  will  have  to  remain  until  at  least  seven  o'clock 
this  evening,  and  then  we  are  to  have  speaking  to  the 
people,  so  that  this,  like  many  others,  will  be  indeed  a  busy 
day.  .  .  . 

Yours  most  tender  and  true, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife. 

Waterford :  27th  June,  1826. 

My  own  darling  Heart, — How  well  I  knew  it  was  the 
change  of  dress  that  brought  on  the  attack.  My  constitu- 
tion is,  thank  God,  excellent,  but  it  is  preserved  by  the 
care  I  take  not  to  yield  to  the  temptation  of  giving  myself 
present  relief  by  making  my  cloathing  lighter.  But  let  me 
not  think  of  scolding  you,  for  fear  I  should  pay  for  it. 
Darling  John  sent  me  an  express  from  Killarney  to  announce 
the  dreadful  massacre  committed  in  Tralee  by  the  orders, 
John  says,  of  Major  Mullins  and  George  Eowan.  He  is 
very  anxious  with  me  to  go  off  to  Tralee,  but  I  cannot  leave 
this  until  it  will  be  too  late  for  the  Tralee  Election.3 

Mullins  and  Eowan  caused  the  police  to  fire  in  the 
streets  of  Tralee  and  shot  five  men  dead  and  wounded 
eight.  John  was  looking  on,  and  says  there  was  nothing 
like  an  adequate  cause  for  firing.  It  is,  however,  likely 
that  this  circumstance  alone  may  put  an  end  to  the  contest. 
I  believe  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  I  have  bought  myself 

"  In  1826  Colonel  James  Cuffe       teen  months  later,  was  succeeded  by 
was    returned   for  the    borough   of       Sir  Edward  Denny,  Bart. 
Tralee  for  the  third  time ;  but,  eigh- 


128     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH. 


a  noble  stout  grey  horse.  They  say  in  my  family  that 
the  grey  mare  is  the  better  horse — but  this  grey  horse  is  a 
noble  one.  ...  It  would  now  be  impossible  for  Beresford  to 
succeed,  and  yet  I  must  remain  here  as  long  as  they  can 
poll  a  single  man. 

Yours  most  tenderly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  tragic  incident  at  Tralee  it  is  well  to  explain  more 
fully. 

On  stones  being  thrown  the  60th  Eifles  were  ordered  to 
charge  the  people,  who  retreated  into  the  yard  of  the 
Catholic  chapel,  merely  to  find  themselves  in  a  cul  de  sac, 
as  the  chapel  doors  were  locked.  Meanwhile  the  clerk 
secured  the  iron  gate  through  which  they  had  just  entered  ; 
and  the  soldiers,  resting  their  muskets  on  its  bars,  fired  on 
the  people  now  standing  at  bay  outside  the  chief  door  of  the 
chapel.  O'Connell  has  told  the  result.  A  man  with  one 
leg,  afterwards  in  the  employment  of  Mr.  Leyne's  family, 
sustained  his  loss  in  the  melee;  and  James  Connor,  the 
nephew  of  Mrs.  O'Connell,  when  looking  out  of  a  window 
was  fired  at,  but  the  bullet  flattened  itself  against  the  wall. 
The  60th  Eifles  have  never  since  been  sent  to  Tralee. 

To  his  Wife. 

Waterford :  28th  June,  1826. 

My  own  Love, — Your  letter  of  this  day  gave  me,  of 
course,  the  most  unfeigned  pleasure.  It  is  delightful  to 
me  to  perceive  that  you  are  getting  so  well ;  all  my  happiness 
is  centered  in  you,  my  own  love,  and  I  rejoice  so  much  that 
we  are  to  travel  together.  You  may,  however,  imagine  how 
anxious  I  am  to  learn  again  from  Kerry.  The  newspapers, 
I  see,  contain  no  kind  of  notice  of  the  Kerry  murders. 
Here,  where  passion  and  party  spirit  run  highest — here, 
where  the  feeling  of  triumph  over  faction  is  at  its  height, 
we  have  not  the  slightest  species  of  disturbance.  We  have 
kept  the  people  perfectly  tranquil.  You  can  not  conceive 
what  an  impression  I  amongst  others  made  on  the  people 
to  keep  them  perfectly  quiet.  Nothing  can  provoke  them 
to  any,  even  the  slightest,  breach  of  the  peace.  There  were 


1326  A  DUEL  129 

many  regiments  brought  into  the  county  and  several  ad- 
ditional bodies  of  police,  and  it  must  be  most  pleasing  to 
form  such  a  contrast  with  other  counties.  Darling,  I  hate 
the  place  whence  I  write.  It  is  in  the  open  court,  where  I 
am  obliged  to  cover  every  line  which  I  write  to  prevent 
accidental  over  reading. 

\  after  two.  The  poll  is  almost  over  on  Beresford's  side. 
We  are  polling  on  in  almost  all  the  booths,  so  that  we  will 
this  evening  have  a  most  enormous  majority.  All  we  have 
to  take  care  of  is  some  paltry  trick  on  the  part  of  these  vile 
Beresfords.  I  hope  to  be  able  to  leave  this  to-morrow,  but 
even  that  is  so  uncertain  that  I  beg  of  you  to  answer  this 
letter,  although  I  hope  I  will  be  with  you  before  that 
answer  can  reach  me.  We  had  a  duel  this  morning  be- 
tween two  of  our  attornies ;  they  fired  two  shots  each  with- 
out any  mischief.  Our  attorney  was  a  Mr.  O'Brien  Dillon — 
theirs  a  Mr.  Charles  Maunsell. 

To  a  Kinsman. 

Merrion  Square  :  4th  July,  1826. 

My  dear  Friend, — Mary's  illness  and  the  shocking  state 
of  arrear  into  which  the  Waterford  election  threw  my  pro- 
fessional business  necessarily  brought  me  to  Dublin,  and 
the  County  election  here  deplorably  wanted  my  assistance. 
All,  however,  is  now  right.  I  wrote  yesterday  to  John  to 
give  my  advice  about  the  election.  Col.  Crosbie  must  insist 
on  his  being  returned,  as  he  had  the  show  of  hands  the  first 
day  and  as  Hare  it  is  who  calls  for  a  poll.  That  poll  is 
plainly  illegal.  The  sheriff  ought  certainly  to  be  hanged  ; 
but  if  he  escape  the  gallows — which  God  forbid  ! — he  will 
be  imprisoned  for  months  in  Newgate.  There  were  five 
Catholic  peasants  justly  hanged  for  the  horrid  murder  of  one 
Protestant  at  the  cross  of  Shinah.  It  was  quite  just  that  it 
should  be  so.  Shall  it  be  said  that  five  Catholics  shall  be 
basely  slaughtered  in  the  streets  of  Tralee  without  retri- 
bution or  atonement  ?  I  think  it  impossible.  The  sheriff 
who  ordered  the  firing,  and  the  officers,  soldiers,  and  police- 

VOL.  i.  K 


130     COBRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 

men  who  fired,  are  all  guilty,  according  to  the  coroner's 
inquest,  of  wilful  murder,  and  we  all  would  participate  in 
their  guilt  if  we  permitted  the  assassins  to  escape  with 
impunity.  This  is  a  solemn  and  sacred  duty  to  which,  for 
one,  I  devote  my  best  energies,  '  to  bring  murderers  to  justice.' 
I  will  not,  however,  attend  an  illegal  poll.  This  election 
must  be  set  aside. 

Ever  yours  affectionately, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife. 

Cork  :  29th  July,  1826. 

My  own  Love, — I  feel  lonely  at  not  hearing  from  you. 
Do,  darling,  write  to  me  as  soon  as  you  receive  this  letter. 

All  the  City  records  are  tried  except  one.  We  begin 
with  the  county  records  on  Monday,  and  I  think  three  days 
will  be  quite  sufficient  for  that  purpose ;  so  that,  love,  I 
hope  and  trust  I  will  be  with  you  by  this  day  week.  You 
perceive  that  I  can  thus  spend  a  week  with  you  in  Tralee, 
before  the  Waterford  meeting,  and  then,  my  Heart,  I  will 
at  once  be  back  with  you  for  the  rest  of  the  Vacation  .  .  . 

We  have  had  a  busy  day.  I  spoke  to  evidence  with 
some  effect  in  one  cause — the  only  heavy  one  that  was 
tried.  It  was  a  poor  man  against  a  rich  one.  I  was  on 
the  right  side.  .  .  . 

To  his  Wife. 

Cork  :  July  31st,  1826. 

I  had  the  happiness  to  find  your  letter  of  yesterday 
before  me.  How  I  hate  to  be  away  from  you — how  I  detest 
being  separated  from  my  own  darling  Mary.  .  .  .  Do  you 
know  why  I  am  cheerful  this  day  ?  Almost  every  client  of 
mine  got  verdicts.  We  had  two  sporting  cases  against  that 
nasty  Lord  Mountcashel.  I  could  not  have  written  to 
you  yesterday.  We  went  down  to  Cove 4  in  a  noble  steam- 
boat. There  were  about  three  hundred  persons  on  board ; 
no  rocking  or  unpleasant  motion.  There  was  a  charity 
sermon  at  Cove — a  very  excellent  one,  in  support  of  a  fever 

4  Now  Queenstown. 


1826  COUNSEL  IN  A   MURDER   CASE  131 

hospital.  We  then  dined  with  a  very  cheerful  and  pleasant 
party  at  the  bishop's,5  and  came  up  again  in  as  crowded  a 
company  in  the  steam  boat.  We  got  to  the  quay  at  near  ten 
o'clock,  but  had  not  water  enough  to  land  for  about  an 
hour.  Much  as  you  dislike  Navigation  you  would,  I  think, 
be  pleased  with  the  Cove  steam  boat  when  the  water  is 
delightfully  smooth  and  the  scenery  most  beautiful.  Good 
night,  sweetest  darling.  May  the  great  God  of  Heaven  pour 
his  choicest  blessings  on  my  own  darling  Mary,  on  my 
Angel  Kate,  on  my  dearest  Betsey,  and  my  most  loved  Dan. 

To  his  Wife. 

Cork  :  2nd  August,  1826. 

My  darling  Love, — Judge  Torrens  fortunately  is  sitting 
this  day,  but  he  is  taken  up  with  civil  bills.  He,  however, 
is  so  far  getting  on  that  I  disposed  of  five  briefs  in  his 
court  this  day.  I  hate,  darling,  these  delays,  and  it  is  this 
which  makes  me  dream  of  having  you  here.  It  is  foolish 
to  think  of  it  and  yet  you  could  come  to  Killarney  to  Kitty's, 
and  Kate  and  you  and  Betsey  could  take  the  entire  inside 
of  '  the  Lady  of  the  Lake  coach '  the  next  day  and  so  be  here 
with  me  at  little  expense;  but  it  is  a  dream.  I  love  to 
dream  of  you,  my  own  and  only  love.  I  am  very  glad 
to  find  that  your  health  improves.  If  you  would  but  under- 
take not  to  get  ill  any  more  you  would  greatly  oblige  me, 
sweetest  love.  I  have  been  just  this  moment  counsel  for  a 
man  who  has  been  convicted  for  the  murder  of  his  wife. 
I  am  not  quite  satisfied  with  the  verdict,  and  yet  I  conjecture 
that  he  did  kill  her;  if  so,  even  youvfill  admit  that  he  deserves 
his  fate.  Darling,  it  vexes  me  to  think  that  I  should  be 
kept  here  by  this  unreasonable  accident  of  Judge  Torrens' 
illness.  Since  I  wrote  the  first  page  I've  got  rid  of  two 
records ;  there  remain  but  eleven.  If  we  are  lucky  we 
will  get  over  these  to-morrow,  but  that,  I  fear,  is  too  much 
to  expect.  I  have  besides  some  criminal  briefs.  .  .  .  You 
will  easily  judge  of  my  impatience  to  be  with  you,  my  own 
darling  love.  I  will  send  horses  from  Killarney  to  be  at 

*  The  Eight  Eev.  Dr.  Coppinger,  Eoman  Catholic  Bishop  of  Cloyne. 

K  2 


132     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 

Killorglin  the  night  before  you  leave  Tralee.  We  will  take 
as  little  luggage  with  the  carriage  itself  as  possible.  .  .  . 
I  intend  to  ride  my  own  horse  all  the  way,  or  at  least  as 
far  as  he  will  carry  me  comfortable,  at  least  from  Killor- 
glin. The  lighter  the  carriage  goes  on  that  road  the  better, 
and  I  think  that  horse  will  take  me  in  great  style.  .  .  . 

Yours  most  tenderly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife 

Cork :  3d  August,  1826. 

My  darling  Mary, — You  ought  to  know  the  state  of  the 
records  here  quite  as  well  as  if  you  were  registrar  to  a  judge. 
The  heaviest  cause  is  over,  and  there  remain  but  eight  to 
be  tried.  I  should  fain  hope  these  will  be  over  to-morrow. 
I  think  I  can  be  off  on  Sunday.  I  do  not  like  travelling 
that  day,  but  it  will  be  after  Mass  of  course,  and  perhaps  I 
am  bound  to  husband  my  time  infinitely  better  than  I  have 
ever  done.  I  will  not,  however,  go  unless  I  can  do  so  with 
perfect  propriety.  At  all  events,  Monday  will,  please  God, 
convey  me  to  you.  Thus  I  rave  about  going  to  my  darling 
love  and  her  children.  I  enclose  you  another  five  pound 
note  to  take  care  of  for  your  husband.  .  .  .  Oh,  darling, 
how  we  will  doat  of  little  Mary  Fitz Simon  ! 6  I  am  deter- 
mined it  is  to  be  Mary ;  and  Mary,  darling,  is  a  sweet  name. 

To  his  Wife. 

Waterford :  28th  August,  1826,  Monday. 

My  darling  Heart, — My  life  has  literally  been  a  journey 
since  I  saw  you.  On  Wednesday  to  Carhen,  Thursday  to 
Lakeview.  James 7  sliyecl  at  spending  eight  or  ten  pounds, 
and  would  not  come  here.  We  had  a  preparatory  meeting 
yesterday,  at  which  I  was  obliged  to  draw  all  the  resolutions. 
We  met  this  day  at  ten,  and  in  fact  I  had  to  arrange  every 
thing  of  the  details  of  the  business.  We  had,  indeed,  a 

8  His  grandchild  just  born.   Mary  trate  at  Queenstown.     This  charm- 
she  was  accordingly  christened,  and  ing  lady,  whom  to  know  was  to  love, 
in  1850  became  the  wife  of  Henry  died  a  grandmother  in  1880. 
Kedmond,  Esq.,  now  Eesident  Magis-  '  His  brother. 


1826 


THE   ORDER   OF  LIBERATORS 


133 


grand  meeting  to-day.  The  Church  is  beautiful.  William 
Koche,  of  Limerick,  was  in  the  chair.  Wyse  moved  and 
spoke  to  the  first  resolution.  He  made  a  very  good  speech. 
Coppinger  moved  the  second  resolution  with  a  good  sing- 
song speech.  The  third  resolution  was  moved  by  John 
O'Brien,  of  Limerick,  in  a  neat  speech.  But  why  should  I 
detain  you  with  details  which  you  will  see  in  the  newspapers  ? 
I  spoke  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  they  say  I  made  a 
brilliant  speech.  I  suppose  I  did  not,  because,  in  fact,  I  do 
think  I  made  a  good  one,  and  nobody  is  half  so  bad  a  judge 
of  his  speech  as  the  speaker  himself.  But  I  never  was 
more  cheered,  neither  did  I  ever  move  an  assembly  so  much. 
I  am  sorry  Maurice  did  not  come.  Our  grand  dinner  takes 
place  to-morrow,  and  Lord  Fitzwilliam,  the  great  and  good, 
dines  at  it.  It  will  be  very  splendid. 

Give  my  kindest  love  to  our  children,  sweetest  Kate  and 
dearest  Betsey,  my  Maurice  and  John  and  yo ur  Dan — the 
only  Dan  you  could  truly  love. 

To  his  Wife. 

Cork  :  2d  Sept.  1826. 

My  darling  Mary, — How  I  hate  cross-posts.  .  .  .  Now 
for  my  travels.  We  had,  you  know,  a  great  dinner.  I 
made  a  famous  speech;  everything  was  superb.  On 
Wednesday  I  quietly  installed  my  Liberators.8  They  will 
make  a  noise  yet.  You  would  laugh  to  hear  the  multitude 
of  wiseacres  I  had  advising  me  on  that  subject.  My 
brother  John  was  one  of  those  who  think  that  I  do  not 
know  what  I  am  about  in  politics.  How  much  I  mind  their 
sapient  advice  !  The  Liberators  will  do  yet.  Darling,  we 


8  In  order  to  protect  the  patriotic 
Forty  Shilling  Freeholders  from  the 
anger  of  their  landlords,  O'Con- 
nell  established  an  organisation 
•which  he  called  '  The  Order  of  Libe- 
rators.' It  consisted  of  three  grades 
of  distinction.  Two  acts  of  real  ser- 
vice to  Ireland  entitled  a  man  to 
the  Knight  Companionship,  and  so 
on ;  Lord  Cloncurry  became  the 
Grand  Master.  O'Connell  also  origi- 


nated at  this  time  the  Freeholders' 
Fund.  The  Mail,  the  organ  of  Mr. 
Attorney-General  Saurin,  sought  to 
console  the  Beresfords  and  others 
who  had  been  ousted  from  power  by 
these  Freeholders.  '  It  was  the  Pro- 
testant landlords  of  the  soil  that 
made  these  freeholds,  and  they  can 
unmake  them.'  In  seven  years,  it 
was  added,  their  extermination  might 
be  achieved. 


134     COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  iv. 


had  on  Wednesday  night  a  Catholic  Charity  ball.  It  was 
the  first  the  Catholics  ever  gave  in  Water  ford.  Stephen 
Coppinger 9  must  needs  dance  in  a  quadrille  with  Madame 
Wyse.1  You  never  saw  anything  so  ludicrous — his  sepul- 
chral aspect  and  funereal  step  were  most  powerfully  con- 
trasted with  her  elegant  Italian  dancing,  almost  too  airy 
indeed  for  a  sober  company  without  being  at  all  indelicate. 
I  was  greatly  amused  at  it.  They  had  great  fun  at  supper, 
when  they  made  him  make  several  speeches  and  give  her 
health  three  times  in  various  shapes.  The  next  day, 
Thursday,  was  my  dinner.  Nothing  could  be  better.  We 
had  a  most  numerous,  respectable,  and  honest  meeting,  an 
immense  deal  of  good  speaking,  &c.  Yesterday,  at  nine  in 
the  morning,  I  left  Waterford  in  the  mail,  or  rather  on  it. 
I  was  received  with  great  cheering  in  all  the  towns.  At 
Tallaght  there  were  bonfires  blazing,  and  when  I  came  to 
Orange  Youghal — for  it  is  very  Orange — the  people  had  a 
chair  and  flags,  and  I  was  regularly  chaired  through  the 
town.  Such  shouting  and  then  hooting  at  the  adverse 
faction  I  never  heard.  It  was  very  ludicrous  and  very 
amusing.  I  did  not  get  in  here  till  ten  at  night.  I  have  been 
working  at  my  trade  all  day  long.  I  never  was  in  my  life 
better.  Oh  that  I  had  but  such  a  sentence  under  your  sweet 
hand  !  I  believe  I  did  not  sign  my  last  letter  at  all,  but 
you  could  guess  who  it  came  from.  I  mean  on  Monday  to 
go  to  Tralee,  on  Thursday  back  to  Killarney,  and  on  Friday 
at  the  latest  to  sweet  Darrinane. 

Yours  most  doatingly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


9  The  late  Stephen  Coppinger, 
B.L.,  occasionally  acted  as  provin- 
cial secretary  to  the  Catholic  Asso- 
ciation. On  becoming  one  of  the 
Order  of  Liberators,  O'Connell  play- 
fully dubbed  him  '  Knight  of  the 
Rueful  Visage.'  When  a  Catholic 
cemetery  was  projected  by  O'Connell, 
Coppinger  was  one  of  the  first  who 
joined  the  Burial  Committee.  O'Con- 
nell was  chairman,  and  said :  '  I 


think  we  should  all  feel  grateful  to 
Mr.  Coppinger  for  lending  us  his 
countenance.' 

1  Mr.  Thomas  Wyse,  of  Water- 
ford,  married,  in  1821,  Letitia,  daugh- 
ter of  Lucien  Buonaparte,  Prince  of 
Canino.  During  the  Waterford  elec- 
tion she  wore  orange  ribbons  round 
the  soles  of  her  shoes,  and  thus  con- 
veyed an  obvious  sentiment. 


1826  THE   CHUECH  ESTABLISHMENT  135 

To  the  Right  Hon.  Maurice  FitzGerald,  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Merrion  Square  :  31  Deer.  1826. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  feel  ashamed  that  you  should  deem  it 
necessary  to  make  any  excuse  for  giving  me  advice.  I  did 
hope  you  knew  me  better ;  and  now  I  assure  you  that  there 
is  no  political  man  from  whom  I  should  be  more  happy  to 
receive  counsel,  or  more  grateful  for  taking  the  trouble  of 
giving  it.  I  trust  I  shall  hear  from  you  as  often  as  you 
have  anything  you  deem  useful  to  suggest.  After  this 
Preface,  which  is  very  sincere,  I  think  I  am  at  liberty  to 
discuss  freely  the  contents  of  your  letter  and  to  tell  you  that, 
with  all  deference  to  your  judgment,  I  have  the  misfortune 
to  differ  entirely  with  you.  Perhaps  it  is  that  I  am  growing 
weary  of  being  temperate,  moderate,  and  conciliatory  to 
no  one  useful  Purpose,  and  without  having  obtained  any 
one  single  advantage.  These  qualities  seem  now  to  me  to 
be  worse  than  useless.  They  promise  immunity  to  our 
enemies  and  give  no  promise  of  active  support  to  our 
friends.  After  all  the  Established  Church,  with  the  millions 
of  acres  and  pounds,  is  our  great  foe,  and  she  may  be 
frightened ;  but  one  may  as  well  endeavour  to  coax  a  pound 
of  flesh  from  a  hungry  wolf  as  to  conciliate  the  Church. 
From  our  numbers,  our  combination,  and  the  continued 
expression  of  our  discontent  something  may  be  attained, 
especially  if  we  ourselves  keep  within  the  law  and  succeed 
in  making  the  people  avoid  illegal  excesses.  If  that  could 
be  achieved  there  would  be  no  great  difficulty  in  getting 
the  Catholics  in  every  parish  in  Ireland  to  meet  for  the 
purpose  of  Petition  on  one  and  the  same  day ;  and  where 
they  were  so  organised  by  community  of  sentiment  as 
to  meet  thus  simultaneously  three  or  four  times  and  to 
separate  peaceably,  there  would  appear  such  a  union  of 
Physical  force  with  moral  sentiment  that  Mr.  Peel  would 
be  insane  if  he  continued  his  opposition.2  We  never  never 

2  This  is  precisely  the  influence      Emancipation   a   necessity.      (Vide 
which  Peel  avows  in  his  memoirs       vol.  i.  pp.  105-142.) 
as    irresistibly     tending    to     make 


136     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 

never  got  anything  by  conciliation.  Could  it  be  possible  to 
be  more  conciliatory  than  we  were  on  the  deputation  ?  Yet 
have  we  not,  in  fact,  been  flung  back  by  our  disposition  to 
accede?  No,  I  do  solemnly  assure  you  that  I  have  the 
strongest  and  most  quiet  conviction  that  temperateness, 
moderation,  and  conciliation  are  suited  only  to  precipitate 
our  degradation ;  but  that  if  we  want  to  succeed  we  must 
call  things  by  their  proper  names — speak  out  boldly,  let  it 
be  called  intemperately,  and  rouse  in  Ireland  a  spirit  of 
action  which  will  bring  all  our  People  to  shew,  in  a  legal 
manner,  their  detestation  of  that  truly  English,  and  quite 
un-Irish  policy  which,  for  the  sake  of  a  few  worthless 
statesmen,  and  many  supern itinerary  parsons,  would  con- 
tinue the  worst  possible  system  of  government  in  Ireland. 

We  mean  to  enforce  a  discussion  as  early  as  possible. 
Do  you  think  Lord  Eldon  likely  to  pick  up  the  Duke  of 
Clarence  ? 3 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  collapse  of  the  Catholic 
Relief  Bill  of  1825  was  mainly  owing  to  the  intemperate 
action  of  the  then  Heir  to  the  Throne,  who,  with  an  oath, 
declared  in  the  House  of  Lords  that  he  would  oppose  to 
death  Roman  Catholic  Emancipation.  The  Duke  of  York 
was  then  an  old  man,  and  he  shook  in  every  nerve  whilst 
he  uttered  these  fervid  words.  '  If  the  Royal  Duke  should 
not  become  converted  from  his  political  errors,'  replied 
O'Connell,  '  I  am  perfectly  resigned  to  the  will  of  God,  and 
shall  abide  the  result  with  Christian  resignation.' 

The  death  of  the  Duke  of  York  two  years  later  afforded 
O'Connell  an  opportunity  of  making  the  amende  for  words 
which  had  hurt.  '  I  have  read,'  he  said,  '  with  indigna- 
tion, in  a  London  newspaper,  that  the  account  of  the  Duke 
of  York's  death  would  be  received  with  exultation  in  Ireland. 
The  man  who  penned  this  miserable  slander  prophesied 
what  he  wished  should  come  to  pass.  The  Catholics  of 
Ireland  exult  not  at  the  death  of  the  Duke  of  York.  We 
war  not  with  the  dying  or  the  grave.  Our  enmities  are 

3  The  Duke  of   Clarence,  when  William  IV.,  became  a  Reformer,  to  the 
pious  horror  of  Lord  Eldon. 


1827  DEATH  OF  THE  DUKE   OF  YORK  137 

buried  there.     They  expired  with  the  individual  who  caused 
them.' 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Merrion  Square  :  15  January,  1827. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  received  your  second  letter,  and  again 
implore  of  you  to  believe  that  I  shall  always  feel  grateful 
for  any  suggestion  you  may  favour  me  with.  Nay,  I  ask 
you  to  have  the  kindness  to  give  me  any  information  or  ad- 
vice that  may  tend  to  the  settlement  of  the  Great  Question — 
in  other  words,  the  settlement  of  Ireland,  in  which  you  have 
just  the  same  Interest  that  I  have,  and  are,  I  am  sure,  just 
as  anxious  to  see  carried. 

I  hope  you  were  satisfied  with  what  we  did,  or  rather 
what  we  said  of  the  Duke  of  York.  There  has  not  been 
the  least  impropriety — nothing  of  triumph  or  exultation. 
If  anything,  a  little  too  much  of  flattery,  but  that,  perhaps, 
was  naturally  to  be  expected,  whilst  compassion  for  human 
suffering  predominated  in  its  influence  over  the  overflowing 
indness  of  Irish  feelings.  We  are  a  strange  people,  per- 
haps the  most  sensitive  in  the  world  to  the  kindly  and 
affectionate  motives  of  the  heart,  but  we  can  be  fierce  too. 
And,  apropos  of  that,  when  I  wrote  so  fiercely  on  the  subject 
of  the  necessity  of  our  being  intemperate,  I  had  in  view 
the  continuance  of  the  Eldon  and  Peel  dynasty;  but  if 
the  rumours  afloat — and  not  discredited  here,  in  quarters 
where  there  ought  to  be  information — if  those  rumours  be 
true,  and  that  the  Marquis  of  Lansdowne  be  about  to 
share  power,  believe  me  it  will,  with  friends  of  his  descrip- 
tion in  the  Cabinet,  be  no  difficult  matter  to  bring  the  tone 
and  temper  of  our  proceedings  into  a  key  which  would  banish 
discord  and  produce  the  truest  harmony.  I  have  myself 
the  greatest  confidence  in  the  integrity  and  intelligence  of 
the  Marquis  of  Lansdowne.  He  is  a  practical  man,  from 
whom  everything  solid  and  useful  may  be  expected.  He  is, 
besides,  a  man  of  steady  Principle,  and  will  not  join  any 
one  who  will  not  join  with  him  in  some  of  the  Vital  mea- 
sures for  securing  the  Peace  and  Strength  of  the  Country. 


138     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   VCONNELL    OH.  iv. 

I  mean  domestic  Peace,  and  strength  of  foreign  as  well  as 
domestic  purposes.  Should  he  come  into  office,  I  should 
strongly  hope  that  your  political  connections  and  oppor- 
tunities will  enable  you,  with  honour  and  consistency,  to 
join  him.  I  am  sure  that  the  most  independent  part  of 
your  Constituents  would  be  highly  pleased  with  such  a 
junction  if  sanctioned  by  your  own  judgment.  In  fact  I 
think  I  may  venture  to  say  that  the  Marquis  of  Lansdowne 
would  bring  with  him  into  office  all  the  support  which  the 
Catholics  of  Ireland  and  liberal  Protestants  could  give  to 
any  administration,  and  I  am  convinced  that  such  support 
would,  if  aided  by  ministerial  countenance,  be  of  the  utmost 
strength  in  Ireland.  Such  an  administration  would  tran- 
quillise  the  country  in  one  Hour.  One  would  ask  with 
astonishment, '  What  has  become  of  the  Orange  party  ?  '  just 
as  at  the  Eestoration  it  was  asked,  '  Where  are  they  who 
dethroned  the  King  ? ' 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Sir  Francis  Burdett's  motion  '  for  taking  into  considera- 
tion the  laws  imposing  disabilities  on  his  Majesty's  Eoman 
Catholic  subjects  '  was,  after  prolonged  debate,  finally  lost 
by  a  majority  of  four.  O'Connell  considered  this  the  most 
signal  defeat  which  had  befallen  Ireland  since  the  Union. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

Ennis :  Friday. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  have  just  read  your  letter  an- 
nouncing the  Orange  triumph  and  the  last  sad  defeat  of 
Ireland.  Another  crime  has  been  added  to  those  which 
England  has  inflicted  on  this  wretched  land ;  another  in- 
stance of  genuine  Eeformation  bigotry  has  disgraced  the 
British  nation.  But  a  just  and  good  God  is  looking  on, 
and  in  his  own  good  time  will  be  his  own  avenger.  I  agree 
with  those  who  totally  refuse  to  despair.  We  must  rally  for 
a  new  exertion.  To  address  the  King  cannot  be  an  unwise 
or  disrespectful  measure,  although  it  is  not  one  from  which 
I  expect  much.  His  Majesty  owes  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude 


1827  DEATH  OF  LORD  LIVEBPOOL  139 

to  Ireland.  He  asserted  his  rights  over  the  British  oligarchy 
when  he  was  prince.  We,  the  Catholics,  threw  down  our 
resentments  and  flung  away  our  legitimate  prejudices  to  do 
him  honour  and  make  him  a  king  indeed,  when  in  England 
the  popular  voice  was  raised  against  him,  and  his  person 
was  scarcely  safe  from  violence.  Yet  during  his  reign  no 
benefits  have  hitherto  flowed  to  the  Catholic  cause.  Well, 
let  us  hope  that  the  period  is  not  remote  when  his  Majesty 
will  give  us  cause  to  rejoice  at  our  fidelity.  Some  good 
must  come  from  an  address.  It  is  in  itself  constitu- 
tional and  legal.  But  we  must  not  rest  our  efforts  there. 
We  must  renew  our  petitions  to  the  Houses  of  Parliament. 
We  must  have  another  debate  immediately  after  Easter : 
we  must  never  let  the  question  rest.  The  more  we  exhibit 
our  determination  to  pursue  perseveringly  constitutional 
courses,  and  the  more  frequently  we  exhibit  the  bigotry  of 
the  boasted  British  nation  to  the  contempt  of  all  the  en- 
lightened people  of  the  civilized  world,  the  better.  Strong 
measures  should  now  be  resorted  to — as  strong  as  are  con- 
sistent with  legal  and  constitutional  limits.  A  Petition  for 
the  Repeal  of  the  Union  should  be  immediately  prepared. 
There  are  but  few  patriots  among  the  Irish  Protestants, 
but  the  few  there  are  would  join  us  in  that ;  or  if  not,  let 
us  petition  alone  for  the  repeal  of  a  measure  which  has  in- 
creased every  evil  Ireland  before  endured,  and  taken  away 
every  prospect  of  a  mitigation  of  the  causes  of  the  poverty 
and  wretchedness  of  the  country. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Once  again  the  tide  seemed  to  turn.  The  death  of  the 
Duke  of  York  was  followed  by  the  removal  of  another  ob- 
stacle to  Catholic  Emancipation.  Lord  Liverpool,  who  had 
held  the  reins  of  government  for  fifteen  years,  now  died. 
After  many  delays  Canning,  on  April  10,  1827,  consented  to 
form  a  Cabinet.  Twelve  men  composed  it,  of  whom  three 
only  were  opposed  to  the  Catholic  claims.  Once  more 
hope  burned  brightly  in  Ireland.  Canning  considered  him- 
self an  Irishman  ; 4  and  the  name  O'Conaing  is  one  freely 
inscribed  on  the  national  Records.  He  made  no  flattering 

4  He  says  so  in  a  letter  to  Scott,  published  by  Lockhart. 


140     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 


promises,  it  is  true,  but  his  views  were  known  to  favour 
a  settlement  of  the  great  question.  Some  years  pre- 
viously he  had  brought  in  a  Bill  to  enable  Catholic  peers  to 
sit  in  the  Upper  House;  and  old  colleagues  left  him, 
repelled  by  an  attitude  which  they  deemed  fraught  with 
danger. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

22  Feb.  1827. 

My  dear  Sir, — "We  are  here  in  great  affright  at  the  idea 
of  the  Duke  of  Wellington  being  made  Prime  Minister.  If 
so,  all  the  horrors  of  actual  massacre 5  threaten  us.  That 
Villain  has  neither  Heart  nor  Head.  It  is  impossible  to 
describe  the  execration  with  which  his  name  is  received 
amongst  us.  Could  you  suggest  any  act  of  the  Catholic 
Body  which  might  facilitate  the  views  of  the  Opposition  at 
this  moment  ?  And,  in  particular,  could  we  do  anything 
to  forward  or  support  the  Marquis  of  Lansdowne  ?  To  him 
much  of  our  hopes,  almost  all,  are  turned.  We  could  have 
Catholic  County  Meetings,  Addresses  to  the  King,  Petitions 
to  Parliament,  or  anything  else  tha.t  public  bodies  may  do, 
if  you  deemed  it  useful.  But,  perhaps,  our  interference 
may  have  a  contrary  effect.  Still  I  do  not  like  a  timid 
policy.  I  beg  your  opinion  speedily. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 
(Confidential.)  Merrion  Square :  16  May,  1827. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  again  heartily  thank  you  for  your 
attention  to  me  during  the  crisis,  and  I  wish  now  that  you 
should  be  in  full  possession  of  the  feelings  and  opinions  of 
the  Catholics  in  the  present  position  of  affairs. 

First,  we  are  very  bitterly  sorrowful  at  the  part  Earl 


5  Lord  Lake,  during  his  military 
rule  in  Ireland  at  the  disastrous 
period  of  '98,  acquired  for  himself 
the  reputation  of  a  butcher.  O'Con- 
nell  seems  to  have  entertained  the 
groundless  fear  that.because  Welling- 
ton had  been  Lake's  right-hand  man 
in  India,  he  shared  the  instincts  of 


the  same  military  school.  Wellesley 
told  Lord  Campbell — as  recorded  in 
his  Life — that  his  brother  Arthur 
had  no  '  head  '  to  be  Prime  Minister. 
But  Wellesley  took  great  credit  to 
himself  for  having  been  the  first  to 
discover  his  military  talent. 


1827        CHANGES  IN   THE   GOVERNMENT   URGED       141 

Grey  has  taken.  "We  do  not  know  how  to  reconcile  that 
line  of  conduct  with  his  undoubted  anxiety  to  pacify  Ireland. 

Secondly,  we  are  all  impatience  to  see  the  Marquis  of 
Lansdowne  and  his  friends  join  [and]  actually  form  part  of 
the  administration.  We  do  not  believe  in  the  reality  of  a 
change  of  men  while  the  Marquis  and  his  friends  are  sup- 
porters only  of,  and  not  participators  in,  the  Government. 

Thirdly,  you  may  pledge  yourself  that  the  Catholic 
claims  can  be  managed  for  the  proper  season  if  we  get  in 
this  Cabinet  a  change  of  men.  If,  for  example,  Gregory 6 
be  removed  from  the  Castle — his  removal  is  indispensable — 
the  Corporation,  controlled  as  it  easily  can  in  the  offices  in 
the  Police,  all  held  at  ivill,  and  if  the  Law  offices  be  well 
filled.  It  will  not  do  to  have  Joy  Attorney-General,  or 
either  of  the  Orange  Serjeants  promoted.  Indeed,  indeed 
they  ought  to  be  dismissed  at  once.  Lefroy  is  an  exceed- 
ingly poor  creature  in  point  of  intellect,  and  Blackburne 
is  excessively  overrated.  If  they  were  dismissed  it  would 
give  infinite  satisfaction.  Eeally  it  is  not  honest  to  have 
such  a  man  as  Lefroy  in  office  when  he  has  to  exercise 
judicial  functions. 

I  repeat  that,  if  men  were  changed,  it  would  not  be 
difficult  to  postpone  to  the  proper  season  the  Emancipation 
Bill,  because  the  exauguration  of  the  system  is  so  peculiarly 
attributable  to  the  bad  passions  of  those  who  have  admin- 
istered it ;  but  it  would  be  really  infinitely  less  obnoxious 
if  mitigated  by  good  and  liberal  men. 

May  18. 

I  wrote  the  foregoing  pages  before  I  got  your  letter  of 
the  15th,  and  I  rejoice  to  think  that  the  period  is  approach- 
ing when  the  Provisional  Government  will  terminate.  Believe 
me  that  you  cannot  possibly  be  of  more  service  this  moment 
to  this  Country  and  to  the  new  Ministry  than  by  re- 
presenting to  them  the  absolute  necessity,  as  well  as  the 
extreme  facility,  of  changing  the  men  who  have  abused 
power  and,  above  all,  patronised  abuse  in  Ireland.  The 

6  Sir  Wni.  Gregory,  the  Under-Secretary  for  Ireland. 


142     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 

Orange  faction  is  already  powerless  from  the  mere  appre- 
hension of  losing  Government  support ;  but  if  the  parti- 
sans of  that  foe  are  continued  in  power  their  insolence  will 
be  redoubled,  and  the  consequent  disappointment  of  the 
Catholics  will  cause  a  reaction  the  ultimate  result  of  which 
cannot  but  be  excessively  mischievous.  I  know  this  Cor- 
poration well,  and  I  would  pledge  my  existence  that,  with  a 
change  of  men  and  a  fair  prospect  of  measures,  in  a  reason- 
able time  the  Government  might  send  out  of  Ireland  every 
regiment  of  the  line,  horse  and  foot,  and  maintain  perfect 
tranquillity  with  the  Police  ;  but,  of  course,  with  a  Police 
animated  by  and  conducted  on  the  new  system.  But  really 
the  Government  of  Peel  and  Lord  Manners 7  would  be  more 
popular  and  fully  as  sedative  as  the  new,  provided  the 
Trenches  continue  to  rule  the  Custom  House,  the  Gregorys 
to  manage  the  Castle,  the  Darlys  and  Kings  to  sway  the 
Corporation,  and  the  Joys,  Lefroys,  and  Blackburnes,  to  top 
the  Profession  of  the  Law,  and  promise  the  people  a  suc- 
cession of  partisan  Judges.  Besides,  every  one  in  Ireland 
knows  that  the  persons  to  whom  I  thus  allude  have  nothing 
to  give  the  Government  in  return.  It  will  be  a  pure  gratuity 
to  continue  them  in  office.  They  have  nothing  of  talent  or 
influence  of  high  character  to  give  them  importance.  They 
are  as  infants  in  the  political  world,  and  may  be  flung  aside 
by  a  manly  and  straightforward  Ministry  with  as  much 
facility  as  a  group  of  children. 

I  write  thus  anxiously  because,  in  the  first  place,  it  is 
just  impossible  I  should  have  any  personal  motive,  and 
next  I  have  contributed  so  much  to  make  the  Cabinet 
throw  the  reins  into  the  hands  of  our  friends,  that  I  feel  a 
species  of  secondary  responsibility  for  the  conduct  of  the 
Government.  Everybody  exclaims,  Why  is  not  Plunket 
Chancellor  ?  Why  are  the  Corporation  allowed  to  nominate 
bigots  for  Sheriffs,  &c.  &c.  ?  I  must  conclude. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

7  When  Peel  filled  the  post  of  Irish  Secretary,  his  most  active  adviser 
was  Lord  Chancellor  Manners. 


1827  AN   ORANGE    TRIUMVIRATE  143 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Merrion  Square  :  28  May,  1827. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  received  your  quieting  letter,  and,  of 
course,  gave  it  the  most  unaffected  consideration.  But  you 
will  recollect  that  the  question  does  not  rest  with  me.  I  can 
easily  be  quieted,  but  there  are  the  people  at  large  ;  there  is 
the  Irish  nation  kept  in  the  miserable  state  of  hope  deferred, 
with  the  extinguisher  of  Eoyal  Speeches  held  over  us,  and 
without  one  single  movement  in  Ireland  favorable  to  an 
alteration  in  the  system,  save  only  the  appointment  of  Mr. 
Dogherty.8  That  certainly  gave  great  satisfaction,  but  then 
there  is  the  drawback  of  Joy,  an  open  and  avowed  Orange- 
man, who  becomes  Attorney- General.  Can  you  blame  us  for 
impatience  ?  You  known  perfectly  well  that  this  country  has 
been  governed  for  the  last  twenty  years  by  the  triumvirate 
of  Lord  Manners,  Saurin,  and  Gregory,  and  they  still  con- 
tinue to  govern.  They  brought  Ireland  to  the  very  verge  of 
a  sanguinary  struggle.  If  the  system  were  pursued  without 
hope  of  alteration  for  one  year  more  there  never  yet  was  so 
bitter  or  so  bloody  a  contest  in  this  country,  often  as  it  has 
been  stained  with  blood.  And  the  first  step  to  bring  us 
back  to  peaceable  courses  would  be  to  deprive  those  of  power 
who  were  the  prime  movers  of  Discontent  and  the  most 
prominent  causes  of  irritation.  Indeed,  I  am  quite  con- 
vinced that,  but  for  the  influence  which  was  obtained  over 
the  People,  they  would  have  sooner  rushed  into  Violence 
and  to  their  own  destruction.  The  Country  remains  in  a 
feverish  state,  and  it  requires  to  be  soothed  by  a  change  of 
system,  which  cannot  possibly  take  place  without  a  change 
of  men.  The  herd  of  Orangemen  would  not  believe  that 
Gregory  could  be  perfectly  impartial  between  them  and  the 
Papists.  As  to  Lord  Manners 9  he  is  certainly  without  dis- 

8  Mr.   John   Doherty,  a  relative  next    few    years— may    have    been 

of  Canning,  had  been  returned  for  partly  due  to  the  fact  that  Doherty 

Kilkenny  pledged  to  Emancipation.  owed  in  some  degree  his  first  promo- 

In  1827  he  was  appointed  Solicitor-  tion  to  O'Connell.  This  appears  from 

General.      O'Connell   and    Doherty  a    letter    of    Lord    Duncannon    to 

afterwards  became  bitter  foes.  O'Con-  O'Connell  now  before  me. 

nell's  irate  feeling— of  which  ample  9  The    correspondence    of     the 

evidence  will  be  found  within  the  Knight   of    Kerry   with   Wellington 


144     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 


guise,  and  even  the  shallowness  of  his  understanding  makes 
him  the  more  dangerous  because  of  the  open  countenance 
he  gives  to  every  species  of  '  illiberality.'  Again,  there  is 
not  one  of  the  friends  of  Ireland — I  mean  of  the  patriotic 
Irish  members — in  office.  The  English  have  got  in,  the 
Scotch  whigs  have  also  obtained  stations,  but  neither  New- 
port nor  Eice,  nor  you,  allow  me  to  add,  have  been,  it  would 
seem,  thought  of.  Lord  Plunket  appears  to  be  totally 
forgotten.1  Ireland  most  wanted  the  change,  and  in  Ire- 
land there  appears  to  be  none.  Why,  then,  will  you  blame 
me  for  being  impatient,  especially  as  the  promotion  of  Joy 
announces  that  enmity  to  the  Catholics  is  no  bar,  whilst  the 
oblivion  of  Lord  Plunket  demonstrates  that  friendship  to 
our  claims  is  a  fatal  barrier  ? 

There  is  another  reason  which  makes  me  exceedingly 
anxious  to  have  the  Ministry  act  with  decision  in  Ireland. 
It  is  this.  They  have  it  in  their  power  to  make  nine-tenths 
of  the  People  of  Ireland  join  in  petitioning  for  Emancipation 
next  session.  Let  liberal  Protestants  be  but  once  preferred, 
and,  as  every  other  impulse  tends  that  way,  you  would 
have  a  magical  change  almost  instantly.  Why  ?  I  could 
myself,  with  very  little  aid  from  Mr.  Lamb,2  put  the  Cor- 


would  show  how  O'Connell's  wishes 
gradually  worked  their  way.  The 
severity  of  O'Connell's  strictures  on 
Lord  Manners  receive  support  from 
Madden's  Memoirs  of  Lady  Bless- 
ing ton  ;  Torrens's  Memoirs  of  Sheil, 
Memoirs  of  Lord  Melbourne,  TJie 
Personal  Recollections  of  Lord  Clem- 
curry,  and  Political  and  Legal 
Sketches,  by  Eichard  Lalor  Sheil, 
afterwards  a  P.O.  and  British 
Minister. 

Mr.  0 'Flanagan,  in  his  Lives  of 
the  Lord  Chancellors,  while  bearing 
testimony  to  some  good  qualities  of 
Lord  Manners,  admits  that  he  '  poli- 
tically opposed  the  religion  and  as- 
pirations of  the  Irish  people  '  (vol.  ii. 
pp.  338-361.  London :  Longmans, 
1871).  During  the  twenty  years  that 
Lord  Manners  held  the  Great  Seal 
he  exercised  vast  patronage :  all  the 
administrative  power  of  the  country 
was  reposed  in  Orangemen.  In  1827 


Lord  Manners  resigned,  and  Sir  A. 
Hart,  an  Englishman  of  liberal 
views,  succeeded.  Sheil  said  that 
the  decisions  of  Lord  Manners  drew 
forth  Lord  Eedesdale's  laughter  and 
Lord  Eldon's  tears  ;  but  I  find  on 
inquiry  that  not  more  than  fourteen 
of  his  judgments  were  reversed  and 
seven  varied.  His  mistakes  would 
have  been  more  frequent,  according 
to  his  biographer  0 'Flanagan  (p.  365) 
but  that  he  usually  had  the  advan- 
tage of  the  private  advice  of  an 
eminent  Equity  lawyer,  Mr.  Saurin. 
Foss's  Judges  notices  Lord  Manners 
in  high  terms. 

1  In  Trinity  Term,  1827,   Lord 
Plunket  took  his  seat  as  Chief  Justice 
of  the  Common  Pleas,  vice  Norbury, 
made  to  resign  ;  but  I  slightly  anti- 
cipate. 

2  Chief    Secretary    for    Ireland, 
afterwards  Lord  Melbourne. 


1827 


BISHOP  DOYLE 


145 


poration  of  Dublin  into  a  total  change  of  System — three  or 
four  of  the  Police  offices  and  at  the  Paving  Board  taken 
from  notorious  delinquents  and  given  to  honest  and  in- 
dependent men,  a  Baronetcy  to  Alderman  McKenny,3 
and  a  Knighthood  or  two  would  make  this  Corporation  as 
liberal  as  ever  they  were  the  reverse,  and  the  force  of  their 
example  would,  with  its  causes,  soon  spread  through  the 
other  towns.  But  I  weary  you. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Merrion  Square  :  9  June,  1827. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  send  you  under  another  cover  a  letter 
I  got  from  Dr.  Doyle  this  morning.  I  send  it  as  Evidence 
of  the  State  of  the  Catholic  mind  in  Ireland — a  subject 
which,  I  think,  ought  to  interest  our  statesmen  more  than 
it  seems  to  do.  It  appears  to  me  that  you  would  advance 
this  object — I  mean  the  acquaintance  with  the  sentiments 
of  the  Catholics — by  communicating  the  substance  of  Dr. 
Doyle's  letter  to  our  friends  in  the  Cabinet.  You  will, 
yourself,  perceive  by  this  letter,  the  very  unpleasant  state 
in  which  I  have  placed  myself  by  the  very  action  that  I 
have  taken  in  procuring  the  suspension  of  our  Claims  in 
this  Session.  It  is  not  pleasant  to  be  reproached  with  all 
that  has  not  been  done  for  this  country,  but  what  signifies 
my  individual  suffering  ? 4  I  myself  readily  admit  that  it 
is  quite  immaterial,  but  it  may  serve  to  excuse  me  for  any 
uneasiness  at  the  present  state  of  affairs.5 


3  McKenny  received  a  baronetcy 
soon  after.     (See  p.  65,  ante.) 

4  The  letter  from  Bishop  Doyle, 
which  O'Connell  enclosed,  may  be 
found  in  the  Life,  Times,  and  Cor- 
respondence of  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Doyle, 
vol.  ii.  pp.  30-31.    Dublin  :  Duffy. 

5  Mr.  Goulburn  and  J.  W.  Croker 
had  just  been  ordered  by  the  House 
of  Commons  to  bring  in  three  Bills 
tending  to  the  further   aggrandise- 
ment of  the  Irish  Church  Establish- 

VOL.  I. 


ment— one  of  them  to  facilitate  the 
imposition  of  Minister's  Money  in 
cities  and  towns  corporate.  Bishop 
Doyle  concluded  his  letter  in  these 
words :  '  With  the  fate  of  the  un- 
happy Plunket  before  our  eyes,  and 
Wellesley  getting  worse  and  worse  ; 
without  one  symptom  of  amendment 
in  any  department — with  Goulburn 
and  Croker  called  on  by  a  Whig 
Ministry  to  legislate  for  Ireland — 
with  our  people  continuing  to  starve 


JH.   IV. 


The  folly  of  allowing  Lord  Manners,  Saurin  and  Gregory 
to  continue  their  dominion  of  this  wretched  Country  is  not 
•fifty.    When  the  new  administration 


was  fanned  there  was  at  once  exhibited  a  readiness  on  the 
part  of  many  —  very  many  of  those  who  heretofore  were 
most  intolerant  to  accede  to  what  was  hoped  to  be  the  mem 
order  «/  tfttj^s.  Why,  in  Dublin—  in  the  stronghold  of 
Orangeism  —  the  beggarly  corporation  —  I  had  arranged 


in  such  a  way  that  if  I  got  any  assistance  from  the 
new  Government  there  would  be  at  this  moment  a  strong 
and  an  ar&r*d  party  in  support  of  Emancipation  and 
liberal  measures.  Take  another  instance.  The  guild  of 
Merchants  wished  to  address  Peel,  Lord  Eldon,  Ac,  They 
three  times  attempted  to  hold  a  meeting  for  that  purpose, 
hot  all  their  V>*Kng  men  shrunk  from  the  iitridiotu  tamfr, 
and  there  was  no  chairman  to  be  found  to  preside.  Well, 
the  declaration  of  war  by  Lord  Manners  in  the  ease  of 
Sir  Patrick  BeDew  was*  no  sooner  known  than  the  bigots 
rallied,  and  yesterday  there  was  a  very  numerous  meeting 
and  violent  parjfcqm  addresses.  What  does  Mr.  Canning 
mean  to  do  for  Candor  with  Ireland?  To  feare  all  the 
old  mrnrrion  in  office!  There  never  yet  was  a  game  so 
completely  thrown  away  as  tins  is.  Ireland  could  have 
been,  and  may  still  be,  brought  to  perfect  unanimity  on 
the  subject  of  our  claims  and  the  support  of  the  new 
Ministry.  I  say  perfect  with  just  such  a  gram  of  Irish 
allowance  as  would  qualify  it  into  an  exception  so  trivial 
:-  -  V  '-  ::n: 


Lord  Sorbury  has  been  at  length  taught  of  the  Bench 


*  _ 


-.  . 


148     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv, 

last  letter  to  some  persons  discreetly,  and  of  course  at  my 
own  suggestion.  The  effect  was  right  good,  and  I  could 
now  answer  for  it  that  Ld.  Anglesey  would  be  well  received 
by  the  Catholics  as  Lord-Lieutenant  if  he  would  take  any 
one  occasion  to  declare  publicly  that  he  is  not  our  Enemy. 
I  mean  by  this  merely  a  disclaimer  of  enmity,  even  without 
any  pledge  whatsoever  of  friendship.  What  I  said  of  Lord 
Anglesea  at  the  Catholic  meeting  was  greatly  misreported. 

I  gave  the  Sheriff  Elect  of  Dublin  a  letter  of  Introduction 
to  you.9  I  would  wish  that  he  should  find  me  useful  to 
him  through  my  friends.  He  is  one  of  those  through 
whom  even  I  could  convict  the  Corporation  of  Dublin.  I 
would,  of  course,  want  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Lamb,  but 
then  the  result  would  be  most  powerful  Irish  support  to 
the  administration.  I  told  you  before,  and  I  repeat,  that 
with  an  honest  Chancellor — who,  of  course,  ought  to  be 
Plunket — with  a  neutral  Lord-Lieutenant — that  is,  a  real 
neutral,  not  as  '  Mountain  Mahony '  called  it,  '  a  mutual 
friend  at  the  other  side' — and  with  Mr.  Lamb,  I  would 
forfeit  my  Head  if  we  did  not  un-Orange  Ireland  and  make 
the  Protestants  content  and  good,  and  the  Catholics  de- 
votedly loyal ;  for  our  disposition  truly  leans  to  loyalty. 
The  game  is  in  our  Hands,  and  Mr.  Eoose,  the  new  Sheriff 
of  Dublin,  would  help  us  very  powerfully  to  play  it.  Per- 
haps I  deceive  myself,  but  I  have  the  vanity  to  believe  that 
I  could  manage  this  Corporation  easily.  The  Orange  faction 
in  Ireland  could  be  made  to  crumble  like  a  Eope  of  Sand. 
It,  in  fact,  is  a  Eope  of  Sand,  but  Government  patronage 
has  twisted  it  into  a  Eope  of  Steel,  and  then  used  it  to 
manacle  us  poor  papists.  But  let  the  Government  force 
be  taken  from  the  twisting  machine  and  a  Eope  of  Sand 
Orangeism  will  be  again. 

There  is  a  most  particular  friend  of  mine — a  Mr.  Ben- 
nett,1 of  this  bar — in  London  looking  for  a  judicial  seat  in 

9  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir)  David  the  entire  correspondence  between 

Boose.  O'Connell  and  this  life-long  friend. 

1  See  letter  of  December  11, 1795.  It  is  specially  full  throughout  the 

Mr.  E.  B.  Bennett,  son  of  Chief  Jus-  period  that  O'Connell  corresponded 

tice  Bennett,  has  allowed  me  to  read  with  the  Knight  of  Kerry ;  but  as  it 


1827 


CHANGE   OF  SYSTEM  UEGED 


149 


the  Colonies.  He  has  hopes  of  being  made  Chief  Justice  of 
€eylon.  I  got  Blake  to  write  warmly  to  Wilmot  Horton 
for  him.  Doherty  wrote  at  my  instance  to  Mr.  Canning. 
I  wrote  in  the  strongest  terms  I  could  venture  upon  to  Mr. 
Brougham.  I  most  anxiously  wish  that  you  could  speak  to 
Ld.  Lansdowne  for  him.  If  there  be  nothing  inconsis- 
tent with  your  present  relations  with  the  Marquis,  to  do  it 
will  be  conferring  another  obligation  on  me.  I  could  not 
be  more  anxious  for  my  Brother  than  I  am  for  Mr.  Bennett. 
He  has  been  at  all  times  the  decided  friend  of  Civil  and 
Keligious  Liberty,  and  his  promotion  would  give  the  greatest 
satisfaction  to  all  that  part  of  the  Catholic  body  in  Dublin 
who  have  been  working  for  Emancipation — that  is,  the 
really  influential  portion  of  the  Catholic  Community.  I 
know  you  will  kindly  give  all  the  assistance  in  your  power. 
But  allow  me  to  add  that  it  seems  to  us  all  excessively 
strange  that  all  the  lad  men  are  still  continued  in  office  in 
Ireland,  and  that  neither  you  nor  Eice  nor  Sir  John  New- 
port 2  are  in  any  official  situation.  I  do  not  say  this  because 
of  my  individual  regard  for  you,  but  more  especially  be- 
cause your  and  their  elevation  would  be  so  honest  an  earnest 
of  the  intention  of  the  Government  to  substitute  friends  for 
enemies,  and  no  longer  to  patronise  bad  passions. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL.3 


reiterates  the  same  points  and  com- 
plaints I  have  confined  my  selection 
to  other  dates. 

2  Sir  John  Newport  represented 
Waterford  City  from  1802  to  1832. 
Owing,  perhaps,  to  O'Connell's  re- 
commendation, he  obtained  the  post 
of  Comptroller  of  the  Exchequer. 
On  every  Irish  question  raised  during 
his  time  he  spoke  with  uncompro- 
mising patriotism.  But  he  lived 
to  see  these  services  forgotten  by 
Ireland ;  and  Lord  Monteagle,  ad- 
dressing the  present  writer  in  1855, 
said :  '  In  visiting  Waterford  the 
other  day,  I  was  unable  to  find  even 
a  tablet  bearing  the  honoured  name 
of  Newport.'  Died  1843,  astat.  87. 

8  On  the  following  day  O'Connell 


expresses  himself  anxious  that  Mr. 
Lamb,  the  Irish  Secretary,  should  be 
returned  for  Dublin.  '  If  Dublin  was 
once  won,'  he  writes,  '  the  effect  on 
the  country  would  be  powerful.  The 
lower  classes  of  Orangemen  would 
feel  diverted  and  would  shrink  from 
continuing  the  contest,  and  the  upper 
classes  of  Eight  to  understand  per- 
fectly well  how  the  wind  blows.' 
Thus  it  appears  that  Lord  Mel- 
bourne's coalition  with  O'Connell  in 
1835  was  by  no  means  surprising. 
Spring  Eice  complained  in  1827 
that  his  correspondence  with  Lamb 
had  been  surreptitiously  opened  by 
Orange  clerks  of  the  post  office, 
Dublin. 


150     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 


In  August,  1827,  Canning,  after  a  hard  day's  work, 
sat  in  a  draught  of  air  to  refresh  himself,  and  contracted 
pleurisy.  Blood-letting  was  freely  employed,  and  the 
valuable  life,  which  under  modern  treatment  might  have 
been  prolonged,  was  forfeited. 

'  We  have  lost  a  powerful  friend,'  said  O'Connell ;  '  the 
mothers  of  Irish  children  have  lost  a  Protector ;  and  the 
blessings  which  under  his  administration  we  hoped  soon  to 
enjoy  are  now  suddenly  hurried  from  us,  and  shew  but 
like  a  dim  and  distant  vision.  But  Ireland  must  not  de- 
spair. She  never  has  despaired,  although  the  dark  current 
of  her  History  has  often  furnished  occasion  for  the  utter 
abandonment  of  Hope  ;  and  my  heart  in  melancholy  whis- 
pers suggests  that  Canning  might  have  lived  longer  if  his 
fate  had  not  been  bound  up  with  that  of  our  unhappy 
land.' 

The  reins  which  had  fallen  from  Canning's  hand  were  tem- 
porarily grasped  by  Lord  Goderich,  and  in  January,  1828, 
Wellington4  formed  his  famous  Administration.  Brougham, 
in  a  letter  now  before  me,  dated  July  24,  1828,  writes : — 

'  That  a  calamity  has  befallen  the  Catholic  Interest 
and  Ireland  generally,  cannot,  I  fear,  be  doubted.  A  very 
friendly  Government  has  been  succeeded  by  one  of  an 
exceedingly  unfriendly  aspect.' 

When  Wellington,  on  forming  an  Administration,  threw 
his  brother  overboard,  Wellesley  remarked  :  '  I  trust  I  have 
strength  enough  to  swim  to  the  other  side.' 

Lord  Anglesey — an  outspoken  Waterloo  veteran — had 
once  declared  that  Catholic  clamour  ought  to  be  met,  not 
with  concession,  but  with  concussion.  To  that  speech,  and 
to  a  vote  against  Emancipation,  he  is  said  to  have  owed  his 
appointment  as  Lord  Lieutenant.  But,  no  doubt,  the  Knight 
of  Kerry  communicated  to  Wellington  the  substance  of 
O'Connell's  letter  of  June  24,  1827,  and  that  between  the 
two  considerations  his  Grace  was  influenced  in  making 
the  appointment. 

'  The  Orangemen  were  filled  with  ferocious  joy,  the 
Catholics  with  profound  despondency,  on  Anglesey's  arrival,' 


4  That  the  Wesleys  had  been 
Koman  Catholics  will  surprise  many. 
Eesearches  in  the  Irish  Record  Office 
show  that  Valerian  Wesley  forfeited 
Dangan  and  other  large  properties, 
as  an  '  Irish  Papist,'  during  the  rebel- 


lion of  1641 ,  while  his  grandson  Gerald 
Wesley  was  restored  to  the  estates 
as  an  '  innocent  Protestant.'  He 
conformed  to  the  State  religion  to 
recover  his  estates. 


1827  SIMULTANEOUS  MEETINGS  151 

writes  O'Keeffe  in  his  Life  of  O'Connell.  The  Tribune's 
private  letter  reveals  a  different  feeling.  Anglesey  went  to 
Ireland,  people  said,  to  cut  down  disaffection  at  the  head  of 
his  Hussars ;  he  beat  his  sword  into  a  reaping-hook  before 
he  had  been  long  in  Dublin  Castle. 

To  Bishop  Doyle. 

Merrion  Square :  29th  December,  1827. 

My  Lord, — The  public  papers  will  have  already  in- 
formed your  Lordship  of  the  resolution  to  hold  a  meeting 
for  petition  in  every  parish  in  Ireland  on  Sunday,  the  13th 
of  January. 

I  should  not  presume  to  call  your  Lordship's  particular 
attention  to  this  measure,  or  respectfully  to  solicit  your 
countenance  and  support  in  your  diocese,  if  I  was  not  most 
deeply  convinced  of  its  extreme  importance  and  utility. 
The  combination  of  national  action — all  Catholic  Ireland 
acting  as  one  man — must  necessarily  have  a  powerful 
effect  on  the  minds  of  the  Ministry  and  of  the  entire  British 
nation.  A  people  who  can  be  thus  brought  to  act  together, 
and  by  one  impulse,  are  too  powerful  to  be  neglected  and 
too  formidable  to  be  long  opposed.  Convinced — deeply, 
firmly  convinced — of  the  importance  of  this  measure,  I 
am  equally  so  of  the  impossibility  of  succeeding  unless  we 
obtain  the  countenance  and  support  of  the  Catholic  prelates 
of  Ireland. 

To  you,  my  Lord,  I  very  respectfully  appeal  for  that 
support.  I  hope  and  respectfully  trust  that  in  your  diocese 
no  parish  will  be  found  deficient  in  activity  and  zeal.  I 
intend  to  publish  in  the  papers  the  form  of  a  petition  for 
Emancipation,  which  may  be  adopted  in  all  places  where 
no  individuals  may  be  found  able  and  willing  to  prepare  a 
proper  draft. 

I  am  sorry  to  trespass  thus  on  your  Lordship's  most 
valuable  time,  but  I  am  so  entirely  persuaded  of  the  vital 
utility  of  the  measure  of  simultaneous  meetings  to  petition, 
that  I  venture  over  again,  but  in  the  most  respectful 
manner,  to  urge  on  your  kind  and  considerate  attention  the 


152     COBEESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  iv. 

propriety  of  assisting  in  such  manner  as  you  may  deem 
best  to  attain  our  object. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


Having  obtained  the  sanction  of  the  Bishops,  O'ConnelTs 
next  move  was  to  arouse  the  interest  and  zeal  of  the  Parish 
Priests  of  Ireland,  many  of  whom  had  become  old,  lethargic, 
and  thoroughly  at  home  in  their  chains.5  Mr.  Wyse  cites  a 
curious  instance  of  this  fatal  feeling : — 

'  The  pastor  of  one  of  the  largest  parishes  in  one  of  the 
principal  towns  in  Ireland  had  never  been  seen  in  the 
public  promenade.  For  forty  years  he  had  lived  in  the 
utmost  seclusion  from  Protestant  eyes,  shielding  himself 
from  persecution  under  his  silence  and  obscurity.  After 
the  concessions  of  1793,  a  friend  induced  him,  for  the  first 
time,  to  visit  the  rest  of  the  town.  He  appeared  amongst 
his  fellow-citizens  as  an  intruder,  and  shrank  back  to  his 
retreat  the  moment  he  was  allowed.  Seldom  did  he  appear 
on  the  walk  afterwards,  and  it  was  always  with  the  averted 
eyes  and  faltering  step  of  a  slave.' 

Sunday,  June  15,  1828,  had  now  been  fixed  for  the 
simultaneous  meetings  in  order  to  petition  the  King  and 
the  House  of  Lords.  The  following,  addressed  by  O'Connell 
to  the  Eev.  Timothy  Sheehan,  P.P.,  Kilcumrnin,  Killarney, 
is  one  of  the  stirring  appeals  which  he  sent  broadcast 
through  the  clergy.  He  well  knew  the  peculiarities  of  some 
men  with  whom  he  had  to  deal ;  how  continental  fashions 
and  rural  adulation  had  affected  them;  and  that  a  pro- 
found obsequiousness  was  no  bad  way  to  approach  the 
old  alumni  of  Douay,  Salamanca,  and  Louvain 6 : — 

Reverend  Sir, — .  ...  I  beg  leave  respectfully  to  say  that, 
in  our  very  humble  opinion,  this  measure  is  calculated  at 
the  present  crisis  to  promote  '  the  best  interests  of  Ireland,' 
and  probably  to  ensure  Emancipation. 

I  trust  your  Eeverence  will  excuse  me  for  obtruding  this 

5  Sir  Kobert  Peel,  in  his  Memoirs,  "  Lady  Morgan,  in  Florence  Mac- 

vol.  i.  p.  213,  notices  the  fact  '  that  Carthy,  notices  the  Louis-Quatorze 

the  old  Priests  are  adverse  to  the  bow  of  the  Irish  priests  of  the  old 

meetings.'  school. 


1827  1A   STRONG  PULL— A  LONG  PULL'  153 

opinion  on  you.  May  I  venture  to  hope  that  you  will  do  me 
the  kindness  to  believe  that  I  would  not  take  this  liberty  if 
I  was  not  deeply  convinced  of  the  importance  of  this  com- 
munication. Perhaps  our  fate  may  depend,  for  the  present 
at  least,  on  the  unanimity  with  which  this  measure  is  now 
carried  into  effect.  It  will  afford  a  glorious  proof  of  the 
deep  interest  which  the  Catholic  People  of  Ireland  take  in 
the  cause  of  civil  liberty  and  religious  freedom,  and  at  the 
same  time  of  the  peaceable,  tranquil,  and  temperate  manner 
in  which  the  entire  of  that  people  can  and  will  evince  that 
anxious  interest  in  the  cause  of  their  country. 

Allow  me  again  to  press  on  your  Reverence's  attention 
this  most  important  measure — a  strong  Pull,  a  long  Pull, 
and  a  Pull  all  together  is  always  likely  to  succeed.  There 
never  was  a  period  in  w7hich  an  exertion  of  this  kind  could 
be  so  likely  to  be  useful.  If  your  Eeverence  should  concur 
in  sentiment  with  me,  I  am  sure  you  will  concur  in  exer- 
tion. I  wish  I  possessed  any  claims  on  your  confidence  to 
enable  me  to  make  an  impression  on  your  mind  by  reason 
of  the  deep  conviction  on  mine,  that  we  have  our  own  fate 
in  our  own  hands,  and  trust  if  this  meeting  shall  take  place 
in  every  Parish  in  Ireland,  and  if  every  Parish  shall  meet  in 
a  peaceable,  orderly,  and  dutiful  manner,  giving  no  offence 
to  any  person,  and  not  violating  the  peace  or  the  Law  in  any 
respect. 

The  consequences,  I  think,  will  be  speedy  and  compleat 
Emancipation. 

I  am  bound  to  add  that,  as  the  transmission  of  Petitions 
and  the  publication  of  resolutions  are  likely  to  occasion 
much  expense  to  the  Secretary,  it  would  probably  be  right, 
as  it  certainly  appears  necessary,  to  make  an  effort  in  all 
the  more  wealthy  Parishes  to  make  a  collection,  but  not  on 
the  day  of  the  Simultaneous  Meeting,  of  Catholic  Eent.  A 
very  small  sum  indeed  from  each  Parish  would  be  most 
amply  sufficient  for  our  purposes. 

I  am,  with  profound  respect,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


164     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  v. 


CHAPTEE  V. 

Lord  Lansdowne  and  O'Connell — The  Hibernian  Bank — The  Clare  Election 
— John  Keogh — The  New  Daly's  Club — Apathy  of  former  Friends — The 
Catholic  Cause  formidably  opposed — The  March  to  Ballibay — Concilia- 
tion tried  by  rendering  Personal  Service  to  Orangemen — Hunt,  the 
English  Eadical,  assails  O'Connell — Law  Reform  begun  by  O'Connell — 
Vesey  Fitzgerald — O'Connell  returned  for  Clare — George  IV.  and  O'Con- 
nell— Brougham — Bishop  Doyle — Securities  proposed  as  an  adjunct  to 
Emancipation — Difficulties  in  taking  his  Seat — A  Duel — Villiers  Stuart 
vacates  Waterford — Lord  George  Beresford  seeks  O'Connell's  Help — 
Pierce  Mahony — O'Connell  and  the  Knight  of  Kerry  alienated — Otway 
Cave — Lord  F.  L.  Gower — The  '  Shave-beggars  ' — Thomas  Attwood — 
Reform. 

THE  fact  has  been  revealed  and  deplored  by  Greville, 
that  in  1831  Lord  Lansdowne,  then  President  of  the 
Council,  successfully  opposed  the  wish  of  the  whole 
Cabinet  as  regards  the  bestowal  of  office  on  O'Connell.1 
The  Whig  statesman  little  guessed  how  cordially  and  con- 
sistently the  '  Agitator '  had  long  urged  his  Lordship's  own 
claims  to  promotion.  The  letters  of  January  15  and  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1827,  afford  abundant  evidence  of  this  generous 
feeling.  A  fragment  bearing  the  postmark  'Feb.  27, 1828,' 
reiterates  his  praise. 

Lord  Lansdowne  had  been  Home  Secretary  from  August 
to  December,  1827,  the  period  that  Lord  Goderich  held  the 
helm. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

27  February,  1828. 

Lord  Lansdowne  has  gone  out  of  office  not  only  with 
honor  unsullied,  but  with  character  exalted.  He  has  been 
steady  and  consistent  and  affords  stronger  grounds  to  hope 
that  the  next  change — if  we  live  to  see  it — will  place  him  at 
the  Head  of  the  Government.  His  whole  party  certainly 
deserve  the  public  confidence,  and  amply  justify  that  confi- 

1  Journal  of  the  Reign  of  Queen      seems  not  quite  accurate  here  (see 
Victoria,  vol.  i.  pp.  8-9.  But  Greville      p.  287,  infra). 


1828  BANKING  MONOPOLY  155 

dence.  The  others — the  Liberal  Tories — are  miserable 
creatures.  I  am  exceedingly  glad  to  find  that  you  do  not 
commit  yourself  to  the  Sub-letting  Act.  It  is  just  the  very 
worst  and  vilest  piece  of  legislative  folly  and  injustice  that 
ever  was  promulgated.  Sir  H.  Parnell  and  Spring  Eice 
have  wisely  put  themselves  forward  to  protect  Goulburn 
from  bearing  the  odium  of  that  Bill.  It  ought  to  be  called 
An  Act  to  render  it  impossible  for  a  labourer  to  become  a 
farmer,  to  prevent  a  farmer  from  becoming  a  gentleman,  to 
prevent  a  gentleman  from  acquiring  Property,  to  purchase 
an  estate.  It  is  the  worst  of  the  Penal  Code,  and  a  hypo- 
critical Penal  Law  to  boot. 

Faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Among  O'Connell's  letters  to  the  Knight  of  Kerry  are 
several  in  relation  to  the  then  recently  formed  Hibernian 
Banking  Company,  an  exclusively  Catholic  Corporation. 
From  one,  dated  March  28,  1828,  it  appears  that  the 
Knight  had  been  entrusted  at  this  time  with  a  Bill  to 
'  dissolve  the  Hibernian  Bank,'  for  that  would  be  its  result, 
O'Connell  said,  and  he  added,  if  the  Knight  could  consist- 
ently decline  giving  it  his  support,  such  action  would  be 
taken  as  a  great  personal  favour.  O'Connell  detailed  various 
conveniences  which  the  new  Bank  gave  to  the  people,  and 
pointed  out  that  it  possessed  all  the  '  advantages  of  Com- 
petition as  contrasted  with  Monopoly.' 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

22  March,  1828. 

This  great  work  is  a  species  of  practical  Emancipation. 
It  emancipates  the  Catholics  of  Dublin,  and  the  Liberal 
Protestants  also,  from  the  odious  monopoly  of  the  Bank  of 
Ireland.  In  fact,  it  is  the  only  useful  and  practical  plan  I 
ever  knew  the  Catholics  establish. 

Its  directors,  too,  are  men  as  incapable  of  trick  or  fraud 
as  either  of  us. 

This  Establishment  operates  in  two  ways :  first,  directly 
by  accommodating  the  Catholics  and  Liberal  Protestants, 


156      COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL    O'CONNELL    CH.  v. 

who  would  be  rejected  by  reason  of  political  or  religious 
dislike  or  difference ;  and  secondly,  by  inducing  the  Bank 
of  Ireland  to  be  more  liberal  and  less  restrictive  lest  the 
business  should  accumulate  to  the  rival  Establishment. 
You  could  not  inflict  a  deeper  injury  on  the  Shareholders  at 
large,  or  upon  the  least  part  of  the  Dublin  commercial 
population,  than  by  forwarding  the  Bill  I  allude  to. 

The  Marquis  of  Lansdowne  is  turning  out  700  families 
in  Kerry.  We  shall  have  bloody  work  next  circuit ! 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Merrion  Square  :  29  April,  1828. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  has  just  been  suggested  to  me  that 
those  who  seek  to  destroy  the  Hibernian  Bank  have  asserted 
that  the  decided  support  I  gave  that  Establishment  arises 
from  motives  of  personal  interest.  It,  to  be  sure,  does 
afflict  me  to  have  any  person  base  enough  to  make  any 
such  suggestion,  and  I  throw  myself  on  your  kindness  to 
contradict  that  report  should  it  reach  you.  I  empower  you 
to  contradict  it  in  the  most  direct  terms.  I  solemnly  assure 
you  it  is  totally  false.  I  have,  indeed,  32  shares  in  the 
Company,  and  that  gives  me  this  interest  in  the  concern 
that  I  am  quite  convinced  I  should  be  able  to  dispose  of  this 
stock  in  a  few  years  if  the  Company  be  allowed  to  proceed 
in  its  present  course.  But  other  interest  I  have  none,  and 
the  circulation  of  a  report  that  I  have,  only  proves  to  what 
falsehood  the  assailants  of  the  Company  are  capable  of 
resorting.  I  wish  the  discussion  could  be  postponed  for 
another  week,  as  this  report  has  roused  me,  and  I  think  I 
could  within  the  week  procure  strong  public  support  for 
this  Company. 

We  are  in  tremulous  expectation  of  the  result  of  the 
Catholic  debate,  expecting  that  the  English  will  give  us 
fresh  grounds  to  hate  them.  Heaven  knows  there  were 
enough  before.  Believe  me  there  is  an  under  swell  in  the 
Irish  people  which  is  much  more  formidable  than  any  sudden 
or  shoivy  exhibition  of  Irritation.  I  have  no  doubt  that  if 


1828  THE   CLARE  ELECTION  157 

the  present  system  is  persevered  in  for  twenty  years,  it  will 
end  in  a  separation  brought  about  in  blood  and  confiscation. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

So  wonderful  was  the  Clare  Election  in  its  results  that 
readers  will,  perhaps,  think  that  I  am  warranted  in  devia- 
ting from  my  usual  course  by  inserting  here  the  printed 
address  of  O'Connell  to  the  electors.  He  wrote  it  currents 
calamo  in  the  office  of  the  Dublin  Evening  Post. 

Dublin :  June,  1828. 

Fellow-Countrymen  ! — Your  county  wants  a  representa- 
tive.— I  respectfully  solicit  your  suffrages,  to  raise  me  to 
that  station. 

Of  my  qualification  I  leave  you  to  judge.  The  habits 
of  public  speaking,  and  many,  many  years  of  public  busi- 
ness, render  me,  perhaps,  equally  suited  with  most  men  to 
attend  to  the  interest  of  Ireland  in  Parliament. 

You  will  be  told  I  am  not  qualified  to  be  elected  :  the 
assertion,  my  friends,  is  untrue. — I  am  qualified  to  be 
elected,  and  to  be  your  representative.  It  is  true  that,  as 
a  Catholic,  I  cannot,  and  of  course  never  will,  take  the 
oaths  at  present  prescribed  to  members  of  parliament ;  but 
the  authority  which  created  these  oaths — the  parliament — 
can  abrogate  them  :  and  I  entertain  a  confident  hope  that, 
if  you  elect  me,  the  most  bigotted  of  our  enemies  will  see 
the  necessity  of  removing  from  the  chosen  representative 
of  the  people  an  obstacle  which  would  prevent,  him  from 
doing  his  duty  to  his  king  and  to  his  country. 

The  oath  at  present  required  by  law  is,  '  That  the  sacri- 
fice of  the  mass,  and  the  invocation  of  the  blessed  Virgin 
Mary,  and  other  saints,  as  now  practised  in  the  Church  of 
Rome,  are  impious  and  idolatrous.'  Of  course  I  will  never 
stain  my  soul  with  such  an  oath :  I  leave  that  to  my 
honourable  opponent,  Mr.  Vesey  Fitzgerald.  He  has  often 
taken  that  horrible  oath ;  he  is  ready  to  take  it  again,  and 
asks  your  votes,  to  enable  him  so  to  swear.  I  would  rather 
be  torn  limb  from  limb  than  take  it.  Electors  of  the  County 


158   COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL 


CH.  V. 


Clare  !  choose  between  me,  who  abominates  that  oath,  and 
Mr.  Vesey  Fitzgerald,  who  has  sworn  it  full  twenty  times  ! 
Return  me  to  parliament,  and  it  is  probable  that  such 
blasphemous  oath  will  be  abolished  for  ever.  As  your  re- 
presentative, I  will  try  the  question  with  the  friends  in 
parliament  of  Mr.  Vesey  Fitzgerald.  They  may  send  me 
to  prison. — I  am  ready  to  go  there  to  promote  the  cause  of 
the  Catholics,  and  of  universal  liberty.  The  discussion 
which  the  attempt  to  exclude  your  representative  from  the 
House  of  Commons  must  excite,  will  create  a  sensation  all 
over  Europe,  and  produce  such  a  burst  of  contemptuous 
indignation  against  British  bigotry  in  every  enlightened 
country  in  the  world,  that  the  voice  of  all  the  great  and 
good  in  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  being  joined  to 
the  universal  shout  of  the  nations  of  the  earth,  will  over- 
power every  opposition,  and  render  it  impossible  for  Peel 
and  Wellington  any  longer  to  close  the  doors  of  the  consti- 
tution against  the  Catholics  of  Ireland. 

He  is  the  ally  and  colleague  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington 
and  Mr.  Peel ;  he  is  their  partner  in  power ;  they  are,  you 
know,  the  most  bitter,  persevering,  and  unmitigated  enemies 
of  the  Catholics :  and  after  all  this,  he,  the  partner  of  our 
bitterest  and  unrelenting  enemies,  calls  himself  the  friend 
of  the  Catholics  of  Ireland  ! 

Having  thus  traced  a  few  of  the  demerits  of  my  Eight 
Honourable  Opponent,  what  shall  I  say  for  myself  ? 

I  appeal  to  my  past  life  for  my  unremitting  and  dis- 
interested attachment  to  the  religion  and  liberties  of  Catholic 
Ireland. 

If  you  return  me  to  parliament,  I  pledge  myself  to  vote 
for  every  measure  favourable  to  radical  reform  in  the  re- 
presentative system,  so  that  the  House  of  Commons  may 
truly,  as  our  Catholic  ancestors  intended  it  should  do, 
represent  all  the  people. 

To  vote  for  the  repeal  of  the  Vestry  Bill,  the  Subletting 
Act,  and  the  present  grinding  system  of  Grand  Jury  Laws. 

To  vote  for  the  diminution  and  more  equal  distribu- 
tion of  the  overgrown  wealth  of  the  Established  Church  in 


1828  VESEY  FITZGEEALD  159 

Ireland,  so  that  the  surplus  may  be  restored  to  the  susten- 
tation  of  the  poor,  the  aged,  and  the  infirm. 

To  vote  for  every  measure  of  retrenchment  and  reduc- 
tion of  the  national  expenditure,  so  as  to  relieve  the  people 
from  the  burden  of  taxation,  and  to  bring  the  question  of  the 
repeal  of  the  Union,  at  the  earliest  possible  period,  before 
the  consideration  of  the  Legislature. 

Electors  of  the  County  Clare !  choose  between  me  and 
Mr.  Vesey  Fitzgerald ;  choose  between  him  who  has  so  long 
cultivated  his  own  interests,  and  one  who  seeks  only  to 
advance  yours ;  choose  between  the  sworn  libeller  of  the 
Catholic  faith,  and  one  who  has  devoted  his  early  life  to 
your  cause ;  who  has  consumed  his  manhood  in  a  struggle 
for  your  liberties,  and  who  has  ever  lived,  and  is  ready  to 
die  for,  the  integrity,  the  honour,  the  purity,  of  the  Catholic 
faith,  and  the  promotion  of  Irish  freedom  and  happiness. 
Your  faithful  Servant, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

His  opponent  was  a  man  wielding  territorial  influence, 
who  looked  on  Clare  as  his  own.  This  was  the  Eight  Hon. 
Vesey  FitzGerald,  on  whose  appointment  to  office  by  the 
Tories  a  new  writ  became  necessary. 

Although  the  truth  of  Lecky's  words  cannot  be  gainsaid, 
that  the  victory  of  Emancipation  was  won  by  '  the  unaided 
genius  of  a  single  man,'  yet  the  idea  of  the  Clare  Election, 
which  so  powerfully  led  to  Emancipation,  did  not  originate 
with  O'Connell.  I  find  the  following  interesting  'mem.' 
among  the  papers  of  P.  V.  FitzPatrick  :— 

'  Sir  David  Eoose,9  late  High  Sheriff  of  Dublin,  and  a 
Tory  in  principles,  but  these  were  always  subordinate  to 
his  anxiety  for  personal  objects,  and  on  worthier  grounds 
for  O'Connell's  progression  in  influence  and  power,  first 
conceived  the  idea  of  O'Connell's  standing  for  Clare,  and 
P.  V.  FitzPatrick  was  the  first  person  to  whom  he  com- 
municated it.  Eoose  in  the  course  of  that  day  suggested 

2  See  letter  of    June   24,   1827,  cerned  in  Roose,  and  bought  from 

addressed  to  the  Knight  of   Kerry.  him  throughout  a  lengthened  period 

O'Connell  always  sought  to  encou-  stores  of  wine  at  high  prices,  as  the 

rage  the  sympathies  which  he  dis-  invoices  still  show. 


160     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  v. 


the  movement  to  the  Marquis  of  Anglesey,3  Lord-Lieu- 
tenant. The  latter  was  greatly  struck  with,  and  gave  it 
his  warmest  approbation,  enjoining,  however,  secrecy  as  to 
his  having  been  spoken  to  on  the  subject.  It  happened  by 
a  remarkable  coincidence  that  FitzPatrick,  when  a  young 
lad,  was  frequently  taken  by  his  father,  so  largely  trusted 
and  so  intimately  connected  with  Catholic  politics,  to  visit 
John  Keogh,  of  Mount  Jerome,  who  made  it  a  point  to  im- 
press upon  P.  V.  FitzPatrick  his  strong  opinion  that,  until 
the  Catholics  could  effect  the  return  to  Parliament  of  one 
of  their  own  body,  Emancipation  would  never  be  achieved. 
Keogh  always  pointed  to  a  Borough,  instancing  Drogheda 
as  perhaps  the  most  attainable,  as  he  did  not  conceive 
success  as  to  a  County  possible.  He  impressed  upon  P. 
V.  F.  his  views  in  these  words  :  "  John  Bull  is  very  stolid 
and  very  bigoted.  He  looks  upon  Emancipation  as  meaning 
liberty  to  burn  him  in  Smithfield,  and  hence  is  ignorantly 
opposed  to  the  proposition.  He  is,  however,  peculiarly 
jealous  of  the  constitutional  privileges  of  the  subject,  and 
if  a  man,  Catholic  though  he  be,  shall  be  returned  in  due 
form  to  Parliament,  and  then  shall  be  refused  the  right 
to  take  his  seat  notwithstanding,  John  Bull  will  look  very 
accurately  to  the  nature  of  the  impediment,  and  his  atten- 
tion being  then  directed  for  the  first  time  with  proper  effect 
to  a  short  clause  in  the  oath  of  qualification,  his  constitu- 
tional feeling  will  cause  him  to  assent  to  a  modification  of 
that  oath  in  favour  of  the  Constituency,  whose  chosen  repre- 


3  It  may  be  said  that  Lord 
Anglesey's  '  God  speed  '  is  not  con- 
sistent with  the  tone  of  his  letters 
in  the  Memoirs  of  Peel.  But  Fitz- 
Patrick's  statement  is  confirmed  hy 
Mr.  W.  B.  MacCabe  in  a  letter  now 
before  me.  He  adds  :  '  Sir  David 
Roose  told  me  this  in  1828,  I  wrote 
it  down  in  1829  in  my  Recollections, 
which  have  not  yet  seen  the  light, 
and  perhaps  never  shall.'  How  the 
frank  old  soldier— Anglesey— could 
play  a  double  part  seems  inexplic- 
able. All  this  time  rumour  assigned 
to  him  intense  hostility  to  the 
Catholic  claims,  and  when  the  truth 


at  last  became  known  it  was  said 
that  the  extinguisher  had  taken  fire. 
Wellington  wrote  a  strange  letter  to 
the  Primate  Curtis,  recommending 
the  Catholics  to  place  their  question 
'  in  abeyance  for  a  time,  and  to 
employ  that  time  diligently  in  a  dis- 
cussion of  its  difficulties,  which  are 
very  great.'  Thereupon  Lord  Angle- 
sey addressed  a  private  letter  to  Dr. 
Curtis,  urging  the  Catholics  to  dis- 
regard the  Premier's  counsel  and  not 
to  abate  one  doit  in  their  agitation. 
Both  letters,  though  private,  got  into 
the  newspapers,  and  Anglesey  was 
recalled. 


1828    TWENTY-EIGHT  THOUSAND  POUNDS  RAISED   161 

sentative  has  been  prevented  from  discharging  his  duty  to 
them  by  the  existence  of  the  clause  in  question." 

'When  Sir  D.  Eoose  announced  to  FitzPatrick  (in  Nassau 
Street,  Dublin,  on  the  morning  of  Monday,  the  22nd  June, 
1828)  the  idea  that  struck  him  respecting  O'Connell  himself 
standing  for  Clare,  Keogh's  reasoning,  and  the  injunction 
which  he  always  laid  on  FitzPatrick  to  assist  in  working 
out  his  suggestion,  presented  itself  anew  and  with  prophetic 
force  to  FitzPatrick's  mind.  He  saw  that  O'Connell  would 
succeed,  and  all  Keogh's  objects  be  thereby  realised ;  and 
full  of  this  conviction,  raising  his  hat  reverentially  at  the 
sacred  name,  he  exclaimed:  "GREAT  GOD,  THE  CATHOLICS 
AKE  AT  LAST  EMANCIPATED  !  "  He  flew  to  O'Connell  to  com- 
municate Keogh's  sagacious  views  regarding  such  a  con- 
tingency as  had  now  visibly  arisen ;  but  his  first  application 
to  O'Connell  to  allow  himself  to  be  put  forward  made  little 
impression.  He  gave  currency  during  the  day,  however,  to 
the  idea,  and  thro'  this  had  it  stated  in  the  Advertiser  of 
Monday  morning.  Under  the  impression  that  a  conscien- 
tious duty  was  imposed  upon  him  by  Keogh,  FitzPatrick 
finally,  to  meet  the  objection  of  expense,  organised  a  sub- 
scription for  the  contest,  thro'  which  he  realized  in  ten 
days  TWENTY-EIGHT  THOUSAND  POUNDS,  and  we  carried  the 
county.  ,  p  y  F  , 

Cork  alone  contributed  1,OOOL,  which  included  a  sub- 
scription of  300L  from  Jeremiah  Murphy.  O'Connell  re- 
membered this  kindness,  and  eighteen  years  after  is  found 
recommending  his  son  for  a  Mastership  in  Chancery. 

Daly's  Club  in  connection  with  the  Irish  Parliament 
had  pleasant  memories.  Lever  gives  a  good  picture  of  it 
in  '  The  Knight  of  Gwynne.'  There  were  many  men  living 
at  this  time  who  had  been  members  of  Daly's,  but  though 
O'Connell  sought  to  enrol  merely  one  hundred  men  in 
founding  '  the  New  Daly's  Club,'  he  failed  to  get  that  sup- 
port. I  find,  however,  one  cordial  response  from  Judge 
Day,  the  friend  of  Grattan,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
O'Connell's  efforts  led  to  the  formation  of  the  subsequently 
prosperous  Stephen's  Green  Club. 

VOL.  I.  M 


162     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  v. 

To  John  Dalton,  B.L. 

Merrion  Square  :  12  July,  1828. 

Dear  Sir, — I  transmit  for  your  consideration  the  en- 
closed outline  of  a  New  Social  Club  intended  to  include  all 
the  advantages  of  the  existing  clubs  with  the  additional  one 
of  adopting  the  '  Non  Exclusion  '  principle  in  the  selection 
of  its  members. 

Should  you  approve  of  this  plan,  which  under  existing 
circumstances  has  in  this  country  many  recommendations, 
you  will  be  so  good  as  to  make  your  deposit  of  £10  without 
any  delay,  and  to  transmit  the  Bank  receipt  to  me,  that  you 
may  have  the  benefit  of  being  an  original  member. 

The  purposes  of  the  Club  being  purely  social,  it  is 
hoped  and  intended  that  it  shall  include  gentlemen  of  every 
religious  persuasion,  and  of  different  shades  of  political 
opinion,  the  only  characteristic  desired  being  the  non-exclu- 
sion principle  for  any  other  reason  than  individual  demerit. 

The  annual  subscription  will  be  £5.  The  admission 
deposit,  twenty  guineas. 

It  is  necessary  to  have  100  subscribers  in  order  to  form 
the  Club. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


I  have,  &c., 


John  Lawless  had  exercised  some  influence  in  Ulster  as 
conductor  of  the  Belfast  Magazine  ;  but  in  oratory  lay  his 
chief  strength,  and  he  was  now  deputed  by  the  Catholic 
Association  to  preach  through  the  North  a  dogma  then 
rarely  heard  in  that  region.  Inspired  by  the  words  Civil 
and  Eeligious  Liberty,  25,000  men  accompanied  his  advance 
on  Ballybay.  Immense  masses  of  Orangemen  sought  more 
than  once  to  provoke  a  collision,  and  it  needed  some  tact 
and  good  humour  to  avert  what  might  have  led  to  a  general 
massacre. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

Cork  :  22d  August,  1828. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  regret  exceedingly  that  the  first  re- 
port from  Mr.  Lawless,  which  I  perceive  was  read  at  the 
Association,  has  not  appeared  in  any  of  the  newspapers. 
The  mission  of  Mr.  Lawless  is,  in  my  opinion,  one  of  the 
greatest  importance,  and  the  entire  Country  anxiously  ex- 


1828  THE   CONVENTION  ACT  163 

pects  the  details  of  his  progress.  I  hope  you  will  be  able  to 
prevail  on  the  Liberal  papers  to  give  publicity  to  his  reports. 
Indeed,  I  am  at  present  the  more  anxious  about  him,  because 
of  a  ludicrous  threat  which  appears  to  have  been  thrown  out 
against  him  at  the  Derry  Dinner.  It  might,  indeed,  be  a 
temporary  inconvenience  to  Mr.  Lawless  to  be  arrested — 
but  if  the  Magistrate  who  should  have  the  audacity  to  arrest 
him  prove  to  be  a  solvent  person — a  matter  of  doubt 
amongst  Lord  Manners's  Justices — Mr.  Lawless  would  be 
likely  to  obtain  compensation  in  damages  for  that  arrest, 
sufficient  to  console  him  for  the  insolence  of  it.  Yes,  the 
times  are  coming  when  justice  will  be  had  even  in  the  North 
against  an  Orange  Magistrate.  The  Act  of  Parliament 
under  which  the  arrest  is  threatened  is  the  Convention  Act 
of  1793.  It  is  really  astonishing  that  even  the  proverbial 
stupidity  of  some  Justices  of  the  Peace  should  be  so  far 
imposed  on,  as  to  consider  for  one  moment  that  the  mission 
of  Mr.  Lawless  could  come  within  the  Convention  Act.  It  was 
Lord  Norbury  who  was  reported  to  have  ruled  at  the  Naas 
Assizes  '  That  one  man  may  alone  be  guilty  of  a  con- 
spiracy.' I  suppose  Sir  George  Hill 4  may  decide  that  Mr. 
Lawless  is  a  '  Convention.'  But,  unlike  Lord  Norbury,  the 
decision  of  Sir  George  will  be  at  his  own  peril,  and  the  ab- 
surdity of  it  will  not  screen  him  from  the  just  vengeance  of 
the  law.  Mr.  Lawless  will,  I  am  sure,  proceed,  holding 
such  threats  in  thorough  contempt — he  will  actually  orga- 
nize the  collection  of  the  Catholic  Eent  in  as  many  Parishes 
as  possible;  he  will  reconcile  parties;  abolish  secret  societies 
and  illegal  oaths  from  amongst  the  People ;  soothe  and  allay 
the  irritation  caused  by  the  illegal  orgies  of  the  Orangemen ; 
and  in  short,  whilst  he  promotes  constitutional  and  strictly 
legal  exertions  for  national  freedom,  he  will,  I  trust,  restore 
to  the  North  that  tranquillity  and  peace  which  now  so  glori- 
ously distinguishes  the  other  three  Provinces  of  Ireland. 

I  perceive  that  '  the  enemy '  has  thrown  out  some  taunts 
against  Henry  Grattan.5     I  deem  Grattan  one  of  the  most 

4  For  some  notice  of  Sir  George  5  Henry    Grattan,    son    of     the 

Hill,  see  letter  of  March  4,  1825.  Greater  Grattan,  represented  Dublin 

M  2 


164     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  v. 

useful  of  our  Irish  Bepresentatives — and  I  beg  leave  now  to 
give  notice  of  a  motion  for  a  Committee  of  the  Association 
to  arrange  with  the  Friends  of  Civil  and  Eeligious  Liberty, 
in  order  to  give  Grattan  a  Public  Dinner  in  November.  I 
will  make  this  motion  on  my  return  to  town.  The  friends 
of  freedom  are  superior  to  the  bigots6  in  morality  and  talent 
— we  ought  to  be  superior  to  them  even  in  the  details 
of  a  public  festivity. 

Faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Lord  Cloncurry. 
Darrynane  Abbey,  Caherciveen  :  4th  September,  1828. 

My  dear  Lord, — I  know  you  will  excuse  me  for  writing 
to  you  anything  I  think  useful  to  Ireland.  If  you  agree 
with  me  you  will  zealously  assist,  if  not,  you  will  forgive 
the  trouble  I  give  you,  out  of  regard  for  my  motives. 

The  Orange  faction  is  endeavouring  to  beard  the  Govern- 
ment ;  that  seems  quite  plain.  Their  ostentatious  display  of 
their  peerage  strength  in  the  Brunswick  Club 7  is  manifestly 
made  in  order  to  terrify  the  Government  'of  Lord  Anglesey, 
and  to  encourage  the  friends  of  bigotry  in  England,  where 
there  are  many,  and  some  in  the  highest  station.  It  would 
be,  indeed,  quite  idle  to  conceal  from  ourselves  that  the 
great  enemy  of  the  people  of  Ireland  is  his  most  sacred 
Majesty  ! !  It  is  but  too  obvious  that  the  pimps  and  parasites 
who  surround  the  throne  have  an  idea  that  their  power  is 
connected  with  the  continuation  of  abuses  in  Ireland. 
They  are  miserably  mistaken,  and  they  would  be  much 
more  secure  by  doing  us  justice  ;  but  it  is  with  the  fact  we 
have  to  do,  not  with  the  theory.  The  fact,  then,  is  most 

the  sole  retort : 

O'Connell  shot  in  F.I.G. 

Laughs  at  the  Orange  Big, 

And   having  'scaped  from  Boyle 

scot  free 
He  does  not  care  a  f.i.g. 


from  1826  to  1831,  and  Meath  from 
1832  to  1851.     Died  1859. 

6  A  furtive  attempt  to  shoot 
O'Connell  was  made  in  Boyle  at 
this  time,  and  the  Loyalists  of  Navan 
are  announced  as  having,  on  July  12 
1828,  assembled  inside  the  lawn 
gate  of  the  Bishop  of  Meath  for  the 
purpose  of  firing  at  an  effigy  of 
O'Connell.  But  pleasant  squibs  were 


7  O'Connell  evidently  meant 
Daly's  Club  as  a  counterpoise  to  the 
Brunswick  Club. 


1828  ACTIVITY  OF   THE   ORANGEMEN  165 

unfavorable,  and  the  Saurins  and  Lefroys  are  only  strug- 
gling to  give  their  friends  in  the  Ministry,  and  men  near 
the  throne,  a  notion  that  their  party  in  Ireland  is  strong 
enough  to  continue  misgovernment  with  impunity.  This 
is  obviously  the  object  of  the  recent  and  continued  display 
of  Orange  aristocracy. 

In  the  meantime,  what  are  our  friends  doing  ?  Alas  ! 
nothing.  They,  the  Orangeists,  have  their  peers  coming 
forward  with  alacrity,  openly  and  with  ostentation.  They 
have  their  Marquis  at  their  head — more  than  one  marquis. 
We  have  scarcely  any  symptom  of  sympathy  from  the 
higher  order  of  Protestants.  There  is,  indeed,  a  Duke,  who 
you  say,  and  I  believe  you,  means  well;  but  allow  me 
mournfully,  but  not  reproachfully,  to  ask  you,  of  what  value 
are  his  intentions  ?  What  a  glorious  opportunity  is  he  not 
letting  slip  to  serve  Ireland  and  to  exalt  himself ;  but  above 
all  things,  to  serve  Ireland.  I  know  that  there  is  a  decla- 
ration being  signed  in  favor  of  Emancipation  ;  a  paltry 
declaration  it  is — just  enough  to  serve  as  an  excuse  for 
doing  nothing.  I  want  to  see  some  thing  done.  The 
Orangeists  are  doing  and  so  are  the  Catholic  Association  ; 
and  we  are  doing  so  well  that  we  can  afford,  after  all,  to  go 
on  without  being  encumbered  with  other  aid.  But,  although 
we  can  afford  it,  we  should  much  desire  not  to  let  things 
remain  as  they  are. 

The  assistance  of  Protestants  generates  so  much  good 
feeling,  and  such  a  national  communion  of  sentiment,  that 
I  deem  it  more  valuable  than  Emancipation  itself.  I  tell 
you  frankly  what  I  think  ought  to  be  done,  but  what  I  fear 
will  not.  I  think  the  Duke  of  Leinster,  and  every  other 
Protestant  peer  friendly  to  the  principle  of  freedom  of  con- 
science, should  avail  themselves  at  once  of  the  formation  of 
the  Brunswick  Club,  and  come  forward  and  join  the  Catholic 
Association.  There  is  in  Ireland  no  neutral  ground  ;  what- 
ever is  not  with  us  is,  in  reality,  against  us.  The  time  is 
come  to  take  an  active  part  in  struggling  to  preserve  the 
country  from  the  bigots. 

[The  conclusion  of  this  letter  has  been  lost.] 


166     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  v. 


To  Michael  Staunton.9 

Darrinane  Abbey :  20th  Septr.  1828. 

My  dear  Staunton, — The  enclosed  reached  me  by  post. 
I  think  it  will  be  an  act  of  humanity  to  give  it  insertion, 
heading  it  with  an  article  to  the  effect  that  you  got  it  from 
me  to  publish,  with  an  expression  of  hope  that  other  news- 
papers would  insert  it,  so  as  to  give  the  parties  interested 
a  chance  of  learning  intelligence  of  value  to  them.  The 
deceased  was  probably  a  relation  to  Bradley  King,  the 
Orange  Alderman.  If  you  think  so  call  on  him  from  me, 
and  shew  him  the  enclosed  letter,  telling  him  that  we  at 
least  are  superior  to  our  enemies'  incivility  and  disposition 
to  do  a  service.9 

Henry  Hunt,  the  quondam  ultra  Loyalist,  who  in 
pique,  it  was  said,  for  fine  and  imprisonment,  for  having 
challenged  his  commanding  officer,  became  an  ultra  Eadical, 
now  addressed  a  public  letter  to  O'Connell,  accusing  him  of 
political  tergiversation,  and  of  having  been  bribed  by  a 
silk  gown. 

The  great  Agitator  in  reply  let  loose  a  torrent  of  in- 
vective, deeply  tinged  with  personality,  but  very  strong  in 
logic.  He  called  Hunt  a  '  blockhead,'  a  '  political  fanatic,' 
told  him  to  wash  his  hands,  and  ended  with  '  Most  sublime 
vendor  of  blackball,  adieu.' J 

Hunt  retorted  in  a  second  letter  addressed  to  '  The 
Travelling  Member  of  Parliament  for  Clare.' 

The  head  and  front  of  O'Connell's  offending  was  that 
he  had  prepared  a  substitute  for  Eadical  Eeform  which 
Hunt  scouted,  just  as  a  '  humpbacked  rotten  recruit  would 
be  if  offered  as  a  substitute  for  a  good  man  already  enlisted.* 
O'Connell  had  called  for  universal  suffrage,  biennial  Parlia- 
ments, voting  by  ballot,  and  Law  Eeform.  This  violent 
controversy  raged  for  some  weeks  and  filled  many  columns.2 


8  An  influential  journalist. 

9  Staunton,  instead  of  publishing 
the  letter,  waited  on  Sir  Abraham 
Bradley  King,  who  seems  to  have 
been    pecuniarily   interested  in    its 
contents.      This   was   probably  the 
origin   of  that   feeling  of  gratitude 
towards  O'Connell  which  King  sub- 
sequently  avowed.      See  letters-  of 


July  19  and  August  11,  1832. 

1  '  Hunt's  Blacking  '  was  widely 
advertised  throughout  the  country. 

2  It  is  to  Hunt's  credit  that  he 
showed      no     resentment     towards 
O'Connell,  for  among  the  papers  of 
the  latter  I  find  several  letters  from 
Hunt,  until  his  death  in  1835. 


1828  LAW  BEFOEM  167 

To  Michael  Staunton. 

September  22nd,  1828. 

I  have  seen  my  letter  to  Hunt  and  am  greatly  obliged 
to  you  for  your  attention  to  it.  It  is  the  best  printer's  job 
I  ever  saw.  There  are  no  white  snails  in  it.  I  wrote  thai 
letter  not  for  Hunt  but  for  the  dormant  reformers  in  Eng- 
land, Bentham,  Bowring,  &c.  &c.  The  Law  Eeform  is  now 
my  grand  object.  You  should  give  it  more  lifts.  Everybody 
should  help  to  get  rid  of  the  present  most  vexatious,  ex- 
pensive, cabalistic  and  unintelligible  System  of  law  pro- 
ceedings. It  is  a  disgrace  to  civilized  Society  to  have 
Scoundrel  Judges  acting  most  despotically  over  lives  and 
fortunes  without  the  possibility  of  control  or  punishment. 
I  think  I  do  not  exaggerate  wrhen  I  say  that  no  man  since 
the  days  of  '  the  Sainted  Alfred '  was  ever  half  as  useful  as 
I  shall  be  if  I  can  abolish  the  present  nefarious  and 
abominable  System,  and  introduce  a  code  of  Common  Sense 
both  in  its  mode  of  proceeding  and  in  its  rules  and  enact- 
ments.3 Help  me  to  do  this  as  you  have  already  helped  me 
to  emancipate  the  Catholics.  The  which  we  have  done,  for 
it  is  done. 

Yours  always, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

It  was  indeed  done,  but  how  ?  The  Act  of  Emancipa- 
tion did  not  pass  until  April,  1829.  Sir  Kobert  Peel  declares 
in  his  '  Memoirs '  that  the  election  of  O'Connell  for  Clare 
proved  the  turning-point  of  the  Catholic  question. 

To  Lord  Cloncurry. 

Darrinane  Abbey  :  24th  Sept.  1828. 

My  dear  Lord, — I  am  not  going  to  inflict  another  long 
letter  upon  you ;  but  since  I  wrote  and  sent  off  my  last 
letter,  I  saw  a  speech  of  Sheil's  at  the  Association,  in  which 

3  O'Connell  has  not  hitherto  re-  art  for  the  last  fifty  years,  but  surely 

i:eived   the   credit   to   which    he   is  there  is  one   department  of   which 

entitled  for  his  labours  in  this  line.  the  Victorian  era  should  be  specially 

A  great  deal  has  been  heard  of  the  proud — the  matter  of  Law  Eeform. 
triumphs   achieved  in   science  and 


168     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  v. 

he  calls  on  the  Duke,4  Lord  Charlemont,  and  on  you  by 
name,  to  join  us  for  Ireland.  I  wish  to  clear  from  your 
mind  all  suspicion  that  he  and  I  are  thus  acting  in  con- 
junction. I  do  assure  you,  solemnly,  we  are  not ;  and  his 
having  concurred  with  me  is  only  another  evidence  of  the 
deep  conviction  the  Catholics  now  entertain  that  they  are 
either  opposed  or  deserted  by  the  Irish  Protestants.5  This 
is  to  me  a  most  painful  subject.  Why  should  I  not  grieve, 
and  grieve  to  my  heart's  core,  when  I  see  Lord  Eossmore 
active  and  Lord  Cloncurry  dormant  ? — when  I  see  Lord 
Eossmore  the  most  popular  of  the  Irish  peerage,  and  the 
Duke  of  Leinster  the  least  so  ?  It  is  vain  to  accuse  the 
people  of  rash  judgments.  They  know  their  friends,  not 
from  the  wishes  and  intentions  of  those  friends,  but  from 
their  actions  and  exertions.  It  would  be  easy,  indeed,  for 
the  Duke  to  resume  his  natural  station.  He  would  be  re- 
ceived with  the  loudest  acclaim.  He  is,  however,  in  prin- 
ciple, or  from  want  of  thought,  a  Unionist ;  and  the  time 
is  come  when  every  honest  and  sensible  Irishman  should 
be  preparing  to  compel  the  Eepeal  of  that  measure.  But 
we  must  do  this  alone.  Protestant  assistance  will  be  given 
us  when  the  difficulties  are  over,  and  that  success  is 
approaching. 

I  do  not  ask  you  for  a  declaration  of  your  concurrence 
in  the  opinion  that  Protestant  patriotism  in  Ireland  is  at 
the  lowest  ebb.  You  would  have  long  since  done  much  for 
Ireland  if  you  could  have  found  Protestant  co-operators. 
This  defection  is  the  more  to  be  regretted,  because  it  leaves 
so  much  alive  the  religious  prejudices  which  have  been  so 
long  the  destruction  of  this  wretched  country.  For  my 
part,  the  only  sensation  which  remains  in  my  mind  is  that 
which  creates  the  determination  to  exert  myself  doubly  for 
'  Old  Ireland.' 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

It  was  thought  that  O'Connell,  being  a  Catholic,  could 

4  The  Duke  of  Leinster.  tion  known  as  the  Brunswick  Club 

5  The  powerful  Orange  organisa-       had  its  birth  in  1828  (see  p.  162). 


1828  'YOUR  LETTER   LIES  BEFORE  ME'  169 

not  possibly  be  returned  to  Parliament.  No  member  of 
that  Church  had  been  elected  since  1688.  My  friend 
Colonel  Adamson  was  present  at  the  Clare  Election,  and 
heard  the  following  dialogue.  Sir  Edward  O'Brien  pro- 
posed the  Eight  Hon.  Vesey  Fitzgerald.  '  I  thank  you,  sir, 
in  his  name,'  said  O'Connell,  raising  his  hat.  '  What !  are 
you  going  to  take  his  name  ?  '  replied  O'Brien  dryly.  '  No, 
I  am  going  to  take  his  place,'  was  the  rejoinder.  The  tug 
of  war  at  last  came.  Vesey  Fitzgerald  was  utterly  routed. 
A  hurried  letter  to  Peel  announces  the  result.  'All  the 
great  interests  broke  down,'  he  writes,  '  and  the  desertion 
has  been  universal.  Such  a  scene  as  we  have  had  !  Such 
a  tremendous  prospect  as  it  opens  to  us !  '  Years  after 
Peel  admits  that  he  was  perfectly  overwhelmed  by  it.  The 
victory  was  accomplished  by  the  Forty  Shilling  Freeholders, 
who,  it  will  be  remembered,  carried  .Waterford  in  1826. 

Encouraged  by  his  own  success  for  Clare,  O'Connell  now 
urged  the  importance  of  a  more  vigorous  parliamentary 
representation  and  policy.  He  declared  that  Messrs. 
Martin  and  Daly 6  should  not  be  re-elected  for  Galway  unless 
they  were  prepared  to  swallow  certain  pledges;  and  he 
branded  '  as  crawling  Cawtholics '  some  lukewarm  local 
magnates.  Mr.  Blake  Foster  retorted  upon  O'Connell,  be- 
ginning, 'Your  letter  of  the  15th  inst.  lies  before  me.'  The 
end  of  the  matter  was  that  O'Connell  carried  his  point. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

Darrinane  Abbey  :  29th  September,  1828. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  perceive  that  the  Connaught  Journal 
contains  a  letter  from  the  Hon.  Thomas  Ffrench,  stating 
that  Mr.  Martin  was  ready  to  give  '  the  pledges '  required 
by  the  Association.  I  deem  it  right  to  request  you  will 
submit  to  that  patriotic  body  my  sentiments  upon  that 
subject.  I  consider  this  the  more  necessary,  because  I  had 
already  used  my  humble  influence  to  provoke  hostile  mea- 
sures against  Mr.  Martin,  when  I  believed  that  he  had 
shewn  disrespect  to  the  decision  of  the  Catholic  Association 
of  Ireland.  My  hostility  to  Mr.  Martin  was  by  no  means 
personal ;  on  the  contrary,  he  is  a  gentleman  for  whom 

6  Mr.  Daly  became  Lord  Dunsandle. 


170     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  v. 

I  entertain  personal  regard,  and  would  not  interfere, 
directly  or  indirectly,  on  the  subject  of  his  election 
further  than  to  insist  on '  the  pledges.'  I  would,  therefore, 
respectfully  suggest  to  the  Association  the  propriety  of 
making  a  direct  call  on  Mr.  Martin  to  give  '  the  pledges.' 
They  are  four  for  his  county — namely,  the  one  against 
supporting  this  Administration  until  Emancipation  comes  ; 
the  second,  in  favor  of  liberty  of  conscience ;  the  third,  in 
favour  of  Parliamentary  Keform ;  and  the  fourth,  to  assist 
in  liberating  the  town  of  Galway.  When  Martin  shall  have 
given  these  pledges,  I  beg  leave  to  offer  my  advice  that  all 
hostility  to  him  should  cease.7 

I  was  determined  to  have  gone  to  Ballinasloe,  in  order 
to  endeavour  to  do  something  towards  arraying  the  Asso- 
ciation's strength  in  Galway  against  Martin.  That  appears 
now  to  be  quite  unnecessary.  I  will,  therefore,  cling  a  little 
longer  to  my  native  mountains,  the  more  especially  as  my 
sober  judgment  is,  that  the  Catholic  Association  ought  not 
to  interfere  unnecessarily  in  the  interior  politics  of  counties, 
or  throw  its  weight  into  the  scale  against  any  gentleman 
who  shall  take  and  adhere  to  '  the  pledges.'  We  are  not 
the  partizans  of  individual  men,  but  the  public  advocates 
of  public  principle. 

So  much  for  Galway.  In  the  other  Counties  I  am  de- 
termined to  make  an  individual  canvass  against  every 
candidate  who  shall  refuse  '  the  pledges.'  If  we  can  com- 
mand, and  I  think  we  shall  be  able  to  command,  from  sixty 
to  seventy  of  the  Irish  members,  in  direct  hostility  to  the 
Wellington-Peel  Administration,  there  can  be  little  doubt 
that  the  question  will  be  settled,  and  Irishmen  of  all  classes 
left  disengaged  from  religious  dissension,  to  attend  to  the 
pressing  wants  and  urgent  wishes  of  the  universal  People 
of  Ireland. 

I  have  seen  in  the  papers  a  letter  from  the  Duke  of 
Newcastle  to  Lord  Kenyon,  in  which  his  sanctimonious 
Grace  condescends  to  notice  me  in  language  more  suited  to 

7  Dick  Martin  failed  to  give  these  pledges.     He  resigned,  and  James 
Staunton  Lambert  took  his  place. 


1828-9  BOROUGHMONGERS  171 

the  meridian  of  Billingsgate  than  to  courtly  circles.  I  am 
not  a  little  pleased  with  his  extreme  scurrility,  as  it  affords 
me  the  opportunity  of  a  civil  reply.  I  will  publish  that 
reply  shortly  after  my  return  to  Dublin.  It  is  a  fortunate 
occasion  to  demonstrate  to  the  people  of  England  the 
turpitude  and  moral  debasement  of  that  titled  crew  of 
boroughmongering  swindlers,  who  defraud  the  People  of 
their  right  of  representation  — who  plunder  the  public  purse 
— and  then,  with  these  proofs  of  knavery  complete  upon 
them,  add  blasphemy  to  the  entire,  by  endeavouring  to 
make  the  cause  of  their  peculating  avarice  the  cause  of 
religion  and  of  God.  What  a  beautiful  Protestant  Constitu- 
tion it  is  in  which  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  has  no  less  than 
twelve  or  fourteen  nominees  in  the  Honorable  House,  al- 
though it  is  the  declared  maxim  of  that  Constitution  that 
no  Peer  shall,  in  any  manner,  interfere  with  the  election  of 
members  of  the  House  of  Commons  ! 

I  think  I  will  be  able  in  that  reply  to  demonstrate  to 
the  people  of  England  the  almost  inevitable  connexion  that 
exists  between  political  depravity  and  religious  hypocrisy. 
This  I  think  I  will  bring  home  to  the  noble  Duke. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Bishop  Doyle. 

4th  February,  1829. 

My  dear  and  respected  Lord, — We  are  ardently  desirous 
of  Emancipation,  but  we  would  not  attain  it  by  any  species 
of  condition  which  could  in  any,  even  the  remotest,  degree 
infringe  on  the  discipline  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Ireland, 
or  upon  its  independence  of  the  state  or  of  temporal 
authority.8  This  being  the  determination  of  the  Catholic 
Association,  I  venture  to  request  a  continuance  of  your 
Lordship's  countenance  and  protection.  The  reports  about 
an  Emancipation  Bill  are  true.  I  believe  the  Clare  contest 
has  greatly  contributed  to  this  result.  If  so,  the  blessing 
you  bestowed  on  its  infancy  has  prospered.  If  I  get  into 

8  Vide  letter  of  December  18,  1825,  and  the  explanation  that  follows. 


172     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  v. 

the  House,  Catholic  Education  will  have  an  unremitting  and 
sincere  advocate.  I  refer  you  to  the  Register  of  Saturday 
for  my  law  argument. 

With  the  sincerest  and  most  affectionate  respect  and 
veneration,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  hostility  of  George  IV.  had  long  been  an  obstacle 
to  the  settlement  of  the  Catholic  question.  The  Duke  of 
Wellington  found  him  in  tears  when  his  Grace  entered 
the  Eoyal  closet  to  announce  concession  as  inevitable. 
Mr.  John  O'Connell  states  that  personal  antipathy  to  his 
father  influenced  the  King's  views.  After  the  measure  of 
Emancipation  had  been  brought  forward  in  1829,  O'Connell 
attended  the  King's  levee.  When,  after  much  pushing  and 
squeezing,  he  reached  the  door  of  the  Throne  Eoom,  and 
had  his  name  announced,  he  saw  the  King's  lips  moving  as 
he  advanced,  and  for  a  moment  thought  the  words,  what- 
ever they  might  be,  were  addressed  to  him,  the  King  look- 
ing intently  at  him  while  speaking.  However,  their  sound 
not  having  reached  him,  and  no  further  sign  being  made, 
Mr.  O'Connell  made  his  bow,  and  backed  out,  thinking  no 
more  of  the  occurrence  at  the  time.  But  weeks  after  he 
learned  from  the  Duke  of  Norfolk  that  the  words  used  by 
'  the  first  gentleman  in  Europe '  were,  '  D — n  the  fellow.' 
This  was  cruel,  for  when  the  King  visited  Ireland  on  a 
mission  of  peace  in  1821,  O'Connell  placed  a  laurel  crown 
on  his  head. 

To  James  Sugrue. 

March  3rd,  1829. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  could  not  get  a  moment  till  now 
on  my  way  down  to  the  House  of  Commons,  where  the 
Committee  is  to  be  selected,  to  give  you  a  sketch  of  what 
passed  between  Brougham  and  me  this  day. 

Brougham  had  about  an  hour's  conversation  with  me ; 
his  object  to  convince  me  that  we  should  accede  to  a  free- 
hold wing  if  it  shall  be  proposed.  He  put  his  arguments 
as  strongly  as  possible  upon  the  expediency  of  not  throwing 
out  the  Belief  Bill  by  opposing  the  freehold  wing,  if — mark, 
as  yet  it  is  if — that  measure  shall  be  proposed.9 

9  The  clisfranchisement  of  the  forty  shilling  freeholders. 


1829  BROUGHAM  AND   O'CONNELL  173 

I  need  not  tell  you  that  I  availed  myself  of  that  oppor- 
tunity of  urging  every  argument  against  any  such  measure. 
I  declared  my  perpetual  and  unconquerable  hostility  to  it ; 
I  showed  that  emancipation,  accompanied  by  that  wing, 
would  rather  irritate  than  assuage  ;  I  showed  him  that  the 
people  would  get  into  worse  hands  than  ours.  In  short, 
he  left  me  convinced  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  Whigs  to 
take  as  decisive  a  part  as  possible  in  preventing  the  Minis- 
try from  bringing  in  such  a  wing.  So  stands  the  matter 
at  present. 

It  was  curious  that  Brougham  should  come  to  me  the 
very  day — the  morning  of  the  day — on  which  my  com- 
mittee was  and  is  to  be  formed. 

Perhaps  it  was  accident,  but  certainly  it  was  just  the 
day  when  it  was  most  likely  that  I  should  wish  to  be  in 
favour  with  the  men  who  might  form  that  committee.  In 
haste, 

Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  committee  is  just  struck.1  I  take  it  to  be  favour- 
able. Lord  William  Eussell2  is  chairman.  Almost  all 
voted  for  the  Catholics.  An  excellent  committee. 

To  Bishop  Doyle. 

19  Bury  Street,  St.  James's  : 
6th  March,  1829. 

My  dear  and  respected  Lord, — I  use  another's  frank 
that  this  may  be  as  much  private  as  you  please.  Look — if 
you  will  do  so  at  my  request — at  the  wings  to  the  new  Bill. 
Give  me  advice  and  assistance  on  this  subject.  It  is  a 
critical  moment.  I  desire  to  do  right.  I  have  already 
exerted  myself  against  the  freehold  wing  here ;  but  I  be- 
lieve that  the  Bills,  as  prepared  by  the  Minister,  will  be 
carried.  The  Monastic  Bill  is  an  absurdity,  and  I  think 
I  will  easily  supersede  it.  But  this  is  a  moment  of  great 

1  Probably    to    decide    whether  was  also  a  question  whether  a  new 

O'Conhell   might  be  heard   at   the  writ  should  issue. 
Bar  of  the  House,  and  there  urge  his  2  Murdered    in    1840   by   Cour- 

claims  to  take  his  seat  for  Clare.     It  voisier,  his  valet. 


174     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL      CH.  v. 

value,  and  advice  and  assistance  are  now  absolutely  essen- 
tial. 

I  shall  long  to  hear  from  you  on  these  points.  At  all 
events,  let  me  know  your  opinion  on  the  state  of  Ireland  at 
this  moment.  Tell  me  anything  you  think  may  be  useful. 

I  long  to  be  in  the  House  to  uphold  the  honor  and 
character  of  our  country  and  creed.  But  at  the  present 
moment  I  only  write  for  advice. 

To  James  Sugrue. 

19  Bury  St.,  St.  James's,  London : 
6th  March,  1829. 

My  dear  Friend, — The  Committee  have  unanimously 
decided  in  my  favor.  Peel's  bill  for  Emancipation  is  good 
— very  good  ;  frank,  direct,  complete ;  no  veto,  no  control, 
no  payment  of  the  clergy. 

I  always  said  that  when  they  came  to  emancipate  they 
would  not  care  a  bulrush  about  those  vetoistical  arrange- 
ments which  so  many  paltry  Catholics  from  time  to  time 
pressed  on  me  as  being  useful  to  emancipation. 

The  second  Bill  is  to  prevent  the  extension  of  monastic 
institutions,  and  to  prevent  the  Catholic  Bishops  being 
called  lords.  I  will  stake  my  existence  that  I  will  run  a 
coach-and-six  three  times  told  through  this  Act. 

The  third  Bill  is  the  freehold  wing  somewhat  modified 
—that  is,  reduced  to  £10  qualification.  This  must  be 
opposed  in  every  shape  and  form.  I  will  write,  and  transmit 
to-morrow  to  Ireland,  an  address  on  this  subject. 

There  should  be  meetings  everywhere  to  petition  against 
it ;  if  possible,  the  Protestants  should  be  urged  to  join  with 
the  Catholics  in  opposing  it.  We  met  this  day,  as  usual,  at 
the  Thatched  House  Tavern.  The  Whigs  were  in  conclave 
at  Sir  Francis  Burdett's.  I  moved  a  Eesolution  calling  on 
them  to  oppose  the  freehold  wing  at  all  hazards,  and  had 
it  transmitted  to  them  by  Mr.  0' Gorman ;  I  understand, 
however,  that  they  have  agreed  to  support  it !  !  ! 

Every  honest  man  should  join  in  petitioning  on  this 
point  without  delay.  Urge  this  in  every  manner  you  can. 


1829  MONASTIC  SUPPBESSION  175 

Let  St.  Audeon's 3  rally.  But  let  them  confine  their  exer- 
tions to  the  freehold  wing  until  the  clergy  pronounce  on 
the  other  two  clauses.  Perhaps  an  application  should  be 
made  on  these  clauses  to  the  clergy ;  but  I  only  fear  the 
freehold  wing. 

Ever,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

•  To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

19  Bury  Street :  10  Mar.  1829. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  words  in  the  Statute  of  the  30th  Ch. 
2  S tat.  2,  C.  1  (indeed  the  only  C)  are  :  '  Any  person  that 
now  is  or  hereafter  shall  be  a  member  of  the  House  of 
Commons.'  You  see,  therefore,  that  the  Precedent  is  in 
my  favor,  so  adopting  any  other  form  of  words  must  be 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  excluding  me. 

Faithfully,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

One  of  the  '  wings '  with  which  Ministers  provided  the 
Bill  of  Emancipation,  in  order  to  assist  it  in  its  progress, 
aimed  at  the  suppression  of  the  monastic  orders  in  Ireland. 
They  were  filled  with  terror  on  the  first  flutter  of  this  ill- 
omened  '  wing.'  During  a  previous  century  the  same  price 
had  been  set  on  the  head  of  a  friar  as  on  that  of  a  wolf, 
and  now  they  besought  Bishop  Doyle,  who  had  been  himself 
an  Augustinian,  to  use  his  known  influence  in  high  quarters 
to  try  and  avert  their  threatened  fate. 

In  reply  he  urged  them  to  confide  in  God,  who  was 
preparing  relief,  he  hoped,  and  not  affliction,  for  their  long- 
suffering  country.  '  It  is  in  Him  we  should  place  all  our 
trust,  and  not  in  princes  and  in  the  sons  of  men,  in  whom 
there  is  no  health  or  safety.'  But  some  days  later  he 
urged  the  monastic  orders  of  Ireland  to  petition  the  Legis- 
lature, for  were  they  not  British  subjects  without  crime  ? 
They  should  assert  their  innocence,  and  not  hide  a  guilt- 
less head.4  They  duly  made  sign,  and  the  Bill  for  their 
doom  became  a  dead  letter,  as  O'Connell  foresaw. 

3  One  of  the  many  parishes  of  4  See  Life  and  Correspondence  of 

Dublin  whose  Catholic  inhabitants  Bishop  Doyle,  vol.  ii.  pp.  116-117 ; 
were  banded  in  organisation.  ibid.  p.  122  et  seq. 


176      COBRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN ELL      CH.  v. 
To  James  Sugrue. 

19  Bury  St.,  St.  James's,  London  ; 
llth  March,  1829. 

My  dear  Friend, — By  the  time  that  this  reaches  you, 
the  Association  Suppression  Act 5 — the  Lying  Act — the 
worse  than  Algerine  Act,  will  be  the  law  of  the  land. 
How  long  it  will  continue  so  is  another  question.  I  shall 
not  be  in  the  House  one  fortnight  when  I  will  apply  for 
its  repeal. 

How  mistaken  men  are  who  suppose  that  the  history  of 
the  world  will  be  over  as  soon  as  we  are  emancipated  ! 
Oh !  that  will  be  the  time  to  commence  the  struggle  for 
popular  rights. 

But  to  the  point :  as  the  law  stands,  the  Finance  Com- 
mittee of  the  Association  can  receive  no  more  money  ;  they 
can  sit,  however,  for  making  payments  and  investigating 
accounts.  As  to  the  future,  my  advice  is,  that  the  Catho- 
lic rooms  should  be  kept  up  by  a  subscription  of  from  five 
to  ten  shillings  by  each  individual,  to  pay  current  expenses 
of  newspapers,  coals,  candles,  clerks,  &c. 

It  will  serve  as  a  nucleus  for  talking  over  Catholic  and 
Irish  affairs.  Call  it  the  Catholic  Beading-rooms.  A  few 
months  will  enable  us  to  do  better,  but  in  the  meantime  a 
rallying  point  of  this  kind  is  wanting,  and  a  reading-room 
is  just  the  very  best  you  can  have. 

Let  me  press  the  necessity  of  having  such  an  establish- 
ment, and  put  my  name,  and  my  sons',  Maurice,  Morgan, 
John,  and  Dan,  as  original  subscribers.  Let  us  attempt 
to  keep  it  on  foot  for  some  months  at  least,  if  we  can  get 
but  ten  subscribers.  There  is  no  danger  of  the  Lying  Act 
affecting  us. 

So  much  for  details— now  for  politics.  I  am  exceed- 
ingly sorry  that  the  Irish  forty  shilling  freeholders  are 
likely  not  to  get  any  support  in  this  country.  You  know 
already  that  we  sent  a  Besolution  to  the  Whigs  calling  upon 

5  The  King's  Speech  in  Febru-  the  public  peace,'  and  its  suppres- 
ary,  1829,  proclaimed  the  Catholic  sion  was  coincident  with  the  Act  of 
Association  as  '  a  body  dangerous  to  Emancipation. 


1829  THE  BILL   OF  EMANCIPATION  177 

them  to  resist  the  Disfranchisement  Bill  at  all  hazards. 
It  was  I  who  drew  it  up,  and  Purcell  0' Gorman  took  it  to 
Sir  Francis  Burdett's  when  they  were  all  assembled.  Yet 
Brougham  and  all  the  party  gave  in.  The  Opposition,  to  a 
man,  will  vote  for  it ;  it  almost  drives  me  to  despair  on 
this  subject.6 

I  sent  Lawless  to  stir  Hunt  to  get  up  some  English 
opposition.  I  begged  of  0' Gorman  Mahon  to  call  upon 
him  this  day,  and  I  will  also  go  myself,  but  I  expect 
nothing.  Lawless's  expedition  has  failed — totally  failed  ; 
Hunt  has  got  no  following.  I  was  until  now  convinced 
that  the  Eadicals  were  in  some  power — they  are  not ;  they 
are  numerous,  but  they  have  no  leaders,  no  system,  no 
confidence  in  either  Henry  Hunt  or  William  Cobbett — not 
the  least — not  the  least. 

This  is  the  case  with  the  reformers  generally ;  they  are 
powerless  by  reason  of  the  people  who  considered  themselves 
leaders,  but  who  are  despicable  both  from  their  characters 
and  their  vile  jealousies  and  ill-temper. 

It  is  right  that  the  friends  of  freedom  in  Ireland,  or  at 
least  those  in  Dublin,  should  know  how  little  assistance 
they  can  expect  to  receive  for  the  forty  shilling  freeholders, 
from  any  portion  of  the  English  Members  of  Parliament 
whatever — not  the  least. 

You  will  have  seen  by  the  Duke  of  Wellington's  speech 
last  night  in  the  Lords,  that  he  is  determined  to  carry  the 
Bill  through  both  Houses  rapidly. 

The  clause  against  the  Catholic  Bishops  taking  a  deno- 
mination by  diocese  is  confined  to  their  own  acts,  and  does 
not  prevent  others  from  calling  them  by  any  denomination 
they  please. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  foolish  and  most  abortive  clauses 
ever  invented.  The  clause  against  the  monastic  orders  is 
equally  so;  I  would  ride  a  troop  of  horse  three  times 
through  it ;  and  you  will  observe  that  no  person  belonging 

6  O'Connell  has  often  been  con-  action  had  returned  himself  for 
demned  for  sanctioning  the  dis-  Clare.  But,  judging  by  these  letters, 
franchisement  of  men  whose  spirited  he  strongly  opposed  the  sacrifice. 

VOL.  I.  N 


178     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL      CH.  v. 

to  these  orders  can  be  prosecuted  before  any  magistrate,  or 
by  any  private  person.  The  prosecution  must  be  in  the 
Court  of  Exchequer  only,  and  by  the  Attorney-General 
alone. 

The  Emancipation  Bill  is  an  excellent  one  in  every 
respect — aye,  in  every  respect ;  for  although  it  seems  to 
exclude  me,  yet,  in  point  of  fact,  I  wish  it  were  passed  in 
its  present  form. 

The  freehold  whig  is  as  little  objectionable  in  its  details 
as  such  a  Bill  can  possibly  be.  It  will  make  the  right  of 
voting  clear  and  distinct ;  its  only  evil  is  the  increase  of 
the  qualification. 

Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  James  Sugrue. 

London  :  12th  March,  1829. 

My  dear  Friend, — The  Irish  forty  shilling  freeholders 
liave  no  friends  amongst  the  English  members  ;  the  Whigs 
and  all  are  against  them.  Even  Lord  Grey  declares  he 
will  not  oppose  the  Disfranchisement  Bill.  This  is  cruel — 
Tery  cruel. 

Our  petition  will  be  presented  this  day  against  the 
disfranchising  wing ;  and  we  must  have  many  petitions 
from  Ireland.  We  must  put  on  record  our  decided  hos- 
tility to  it  in  every  shape  and  form,  so  as  to  enable  us 
hereafter,  and  soon,  to  do  battle  in  favor  of  a  restoration 
of  this  right. 

I  deem  it  my  duty  to  give  this  information,  that  the 
gentlemen,  having  early  notice,  may  act  accordingly. 

I  beg  now,  as  a  member  of  the  Finance  Committee  of 
the  Catholic  Association,  to  make  a  motion.  I  hope  that 
I  shall  be  allowed  to  make  one — it  shall  be  the  only  one. 
I  am  quite  serious. 

I  wish  to  move  that  a  sum  of  one  hundred  guineas  be 
transmitted  to  Mr.  Secretary  O'Gorman  to  defray  his  ex- 
penses in  London.  I  implore  of  you,  my  good  friend,  to 
•canvass  for  me  on  this  motion. 


1829  THREATENED  MONASTIC  EXTINCTION       179 

Mrs.  O'Gorman  is  with  him ;  and  as  he  is  not  rich,  we 
should  certainly  prevent  his  being  at  any  expense  on  his 
own  account.  Before  the  Committee  meet,  show  this  letter 
to  Eev.  Wm.  L'Estrange,7  &c.  I  feel  deeply  anxious  to 
pay  O'Gorman  this  mark  of  my  personal  attention ;  and  if 
the  Emancipation  Bill  pass,  I  trust  Government  may  -be 
induced  to  pay  the  Catholic  body  the  compliment  of  making 
a  provision  for  him,  by  giving  him  such  an  office  as  he  is 
well  suited  to  fill,  and  as  would  increase  his  comforts. 

Do  not  show  this  letter  to  anyone  but  to  those  who  will 
feel  its  confidential  and  delicate  nature. 

Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  the  Rev.  W.  A:  O'Meara,  O.S.F* 

(Confidential.)  19  Bury  Street,  St.  James's, 

18th  March,  1829. 

Eev.  and  dear  Sir, — I  am  standing  counsel  for  the 
friars,  so  that  you  owe  me  no  apology,  nor  any  thanks  for 
attending  to  any  affair  of  yours.  My  fee  is  paid  by  one 
moment  of  recollection  of  me  occasionally  in  the  Holy 
Sacrifice. 

I  have  the  happiness  to  tell  you  the  proposed  law  is 
one  which  has  been  well  described  as  a  class  by  the  cele- 
brated jurist  Bentham  in  one  word,  unexecutable — that  is, 
that  can  never  be  executed.  This  is  literally  one  of  those 
laws.  It  is  insolent  enough  in  its  pretensions.  It  will 
be,  and  must  be,  totally  inefficient  in  practice,  for  these 
reasons : — 

1st.  There  is  no  power  at  all  given  to  magistrates  to 
interfere  in  this  subject,  nor  any  jurisdiction  whatsoever 
given  to  magistrates  in  that  respect. 

2ndly.  No  private  person  can  prosecute  any  friar  or 
monk ;  nobody  can  do  it  but  the  Attorney- General,  so  that 
you  are  thus  free  from  private  malice. 

3rdly.  The  person  prosecuted — that  is,  if  any  friar  or 


7  A  Carmelite  friar,  the  spiritual  adviser  of  O'Connell. 

8  Order  of  St.  Francis. 


N  2 


180     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  v. 

monk  be  prosecuted — is  not  bound  to  disclose  anything, 
or  to  say  one  word,  but  simply  to  allow  his  Attorney  to 
plead  nil  debet  to  the  information. 

Thus,  you  see,  nobody  will  be  obliged  to  accuse  himself. 

This  will  put  the  prosecutor  on  his  proofs. 

Now,  4thly.  The  prosecutor  will  have  nobody  to  prove 
his  case,  because,  mark,  there  is  a  penalty  on  all  persons 
assisting  at  the  taking  of  the  vows;  therefore,  if  any  of 
these  persons  be  examined  as  witnesses,  they  can,  with 
perfect  safety,  object  to  give  evidence,  and  totally  refuse 
lest  they  should  convict  themselves. 

Thus,  you  see,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  any  prosecu- 
tion should  be  instituted  at  all ;  and  it  is  quite  impossible 
that  any  prosecution  should  be  successful. 

Besides,  the  existing  class  of  friars  are  all  legalised.  My 
advice,  therefore,  decidedly  is,  that  the  friars  should  keep 
quiet.  Let  this  Act  take  its  course,  recollecting,  also,  that  you 
will  have  Catholic  members  in  Parliament  before  the  time 
comes  to  give  these  laws  any  effect,  even  in  point  of  form. 

Go  on  with  your  building  and  prosper. 

Be  so  good  as  to  put  down  my  name  for  £50. 

I  will  give  it  to  you  when  I  arrive  in  Cork. 

Regretting  I  cannot  afford  to  give  more,  I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL. 

Mr.  Peel  introduced  his  Bill  for  Catholic  Emancipation 
in  the  House  of  Commons  on  March  10.  The  second  read- 
ing took  place  eight  days  later,  and  the  Act  received  the 
Royal  assent  on  April  13. 

To  James  Sugrue. 

The  first  day  of  Freedom  ! 
14th  April,  1829. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  cannot  allow  this  day  to  pass 
without  expressing  my  congratulations  to  the  honest  men  of 
Burgh  Quay 9  on  the  subject  of  the  Relief  Bill. 

It  is  one  of  the  greatest  triumphs  recorded  in  history — a 

9  The  Catholic  Association  met  at  Burgh  Quay. 


1829  'A  BLOODLESS  BEVOLUTION'  181 

bloodless  revolution  more  extensive  in  its  operation  than 
any  other  political  change  that  could  take  place.  I  say 
political  to  contrast  it  with  social  changes  which  might 
break  to  pieces  the  framework  of  society. 

This  is  a  good  beginning,  and  now,  if  I  can  get  Catholics 
and  Protestants  to  join,  something  solid  and  substantial 
may  be  done  for  all. 

It  is  clear  that,  without  gross  mismanagement,  it  will  be 
impossible  to  allow  misgovernment  any  longer  in  Ireland. 
It  will  not  be  my  fault  if  there  be  not  a  '  Society  !  for  the 
Improvement  of  Ireland,'  or  something  else  of  that  de- 
scription, to  watch  over  the  rising  liberties  of  Ireland. 

I  am  busily  making  my  arrangements  respecting  my 
own  seat.  As  soon  as  they  are  complete  you  shall  hear 
from  me. 

I  reckon  with  confidence  on  being  in  the  House  on  the 
28th  instant,  the  day  to  which  the  adjournment  is  to  take 
place.  I  think  my  right  now  perfectly  clear  and  beyond 
any  reasonable  doubt. 

Wish  all  and  every  one  of  '  the  Order  of  Liberators ' 2  joy 
in  my  name.  Let  us  not  show  any  insolence  of  triumph, 
but  I  confess  to  you,  if  I  were  in  Dublin,  I  should  like  to 
laugh  at  the  Corporators. 

I  am  writing  a  congratulatory  address  to  the  people. 
It  will  appear,  I  hope,  on  Easter  Monday  in  Dublin. 
Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  N.  Purcell  O'Gorman. 

Bury  St. :  24th  Apl.  1829. 

My  dear  Purcell, — The  enclosed  arrived  for  you  yester- 
day. In  sending  it  to  you  I  avail  myself  of  the  opportunity 
of  giving  you  again  my  most  solemn  pledge  that  I  will  never 
lose  sight  of  your  claims  on  that  situation  and  station  to 
which  the  only  accredited  and  most  faithful  officer  of  the 

1  An  association  under  this  name       Personal  Recollections  of  Lord  Clon- 
was  duly  formed,  and  continued  its       curry.) 
sittings  until  the  year  1835.     (Vide          *  See  letter  of  Sept.  2,  1826. 


182    COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' 'CONN 'ELL      CH.  v. 

Catholics  of  Ireland  is  entitled  as  of  right.     I  will  redeem 
this  pledge  faithfully  and  expeditiously. 

Ever,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  James  Sugrue. 

12  Bury  St.,  London  :  April  30th,  1829. 

My  dear  James, — I  am  making  my  arrangements  for  my 
seat.  I  suppose  you  will  hear  of  me  '  as  of,'  in  the  phrase 
of  the  lawyers,  this  day  week.  If  Mr.  Wynne  and  the  tail 
of  the  Grenvilles  behave  well  to  me  I  am  sure  to  succeed. 

To-morrow  I  shall  have  digested  my  new  letter.  It 
will  contain  my  view  of  the  subject,  and  my,  I  trust,  con- 
vincing arguments  in  favour  of  my  right  to  take  my  seat. 
If  Lord  Nugent  helps  me,  as  I  hope  he  will,  my  success  is 
not  ddubtful. 

You  will  see  the  absolute  necessity  of  not  allowing  these 
names  or  any  communication  from  me  to  get  into  print. 
But  the  Irish  people  may  be  cheered  by  the  prospect  of 
my  taking  my  seat,  and  being  thus  enabled  to  work  for 
them. 

I  heard  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington  is  determined  not 
to  increase  the  currency  but  to  resort  to  an  income  tax. 
This  is  the  last  private  report,  and  is  believed  by  many. 
Income  from  the  funds  would,  of  course,  come  under  such 
a  tax.  The  Subletting  Act 3  will  be  materially  changed  this 
session.  Of  this  I  am  assured,  and  I  hope  the  assurance 
will  be  realised. 

Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  James  Sugrue. 

19  Bury  Street,  London :  May  1st,  1829. 

My  dear  James, —  ...  I  spent  all  day  working  at  my 
case  for  the  House  of  Commons.  I  have  every  hope  that 
this  day  week  will  see  me  at  my  post  in  the  House. 

8  See  Lord  Melbourne's  letters      this  Act,  Life  of  Dr.  Doyle,  vol.  ii. 
to  Bishop  Doyle  in  1831  touching      p.  269  et  scq. 


1829  O'CONNELL  AND  HIS  SEAT  183 

I  intend  to  take  an  immediate  active  part  in  the  pro- 
ceedings. I  need  not  say  to  you  how  impatient  I  am  to  be 
useful. 

Every  hour  increases  the  favorable  accounts  (or  at  least 
reports)  of  the  intention  of  the  Ministry  to  allow  me  to  take 
my  seat  quietly.  And  my  present  object  is  simply  to  make 
such  a  case  in  point  as  will  render  it  impossible  for  Mr. 
Sugden  or  anybody  else  to  give  me  effectual  opposition. 
Your  obliged  and  affectionate, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

London,  19  Bury  Street :  12  May,  1829. 

My  dear  Sir,  — Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  communicate 
with  the  Speaker  forme  on  the  subject  of  my  going  down  to 
take  my  seat.  I  write  that  he  should  know ;  I  do  not  mean 
to  take  him  by  surprise.  I  will  look  for  you  this  day  at 
Brooks's.  Indeed,  if  I  had  not  to  do  with  a  Manners  Sutton, 
I  should  expect  little  difficulty.  But  I  have  too  melancholy 
an  experience  of  that  family  to  expect  anything  of  im- 
partiality or  discrimination  of  judgment  from  any  of  them. 
Lord  Manners  was  a  great  practical  enemy  of  mine,4  and  he 
injured  me  too  much  not  to  hate  me.  However,  I  am  a  good 
deal  indifferent  on  the  matter.  I  know  that  I  have  de- 
monstrated my  right,  and  that  it  will  be  understood  and 
felt  in  Ireland.  Indeed,  no  rational  man  who  will  take 
the  trouble  to  consider  can  doubt  my  right.  I  wish  much 
to  find  you  at  leisure. 

Your  obliged, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  James  Sugrue. 

Bury  St. :  May  13th,  1829. 

My  dear  James, — All  appears  well :  my  last  letter  has 
had  great  success,  simply  because  it  is  unanswerable.  The 

4  Some   collisions  in  Court   be-       the  Chancellors  of  Ireland,  vol.  ii. 
tween  O'Connell  and  Lord  Manners      p.  366.     (London :  Longmans.) 
are  noticed  in  O'Flanagan's  Lives  of 


184    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0  CONNELL     OH.  v. 

law  is  with  me  in  all  its  bearings,  and  as  yet  I  have  every 
reason  to  think  that  the  opposition  to  me,  if  any,  will  be 
feeble.  In  forty-eight  hours  I  shall  know  more. 

I  was  this  day  at  the  King's  Bench,  at  half-past  nine, 
and  took  the  new  oath.  So  far  I  have  progressed,  as  the 
Americans  say.  I  am  now  certain  of  getting  into  the 
House — that  is,  as  far  as  the  table.  How  much  beyond  that 
I  know  not.  I  will  then  call  for  the  new  oath,  and  if  it  be 
administered,  then  the  contest  is  over.  If  they  refuse  to 
administer  it,  I  will  take  my  seat  without  it,  and  put  upon 
others  to  make  any  motion  they  may  please. 

Since  I  wrote  the  foregoing  paragraph  I  have  ascer- 
tained that  the  Government  declare  positively  that  they 
will  not  make  it  a  Government  question,  nor  give  me  any 
Government  opposition. 

I  think,  therefore,  that  my  prospects  are  the  very 
fairest ;  but  one  must  not  be  too  sure  of  anything  to 
come.  .  .  . 

Among  some  jottings  placed  in  my  hands  by  the  late 
Mr.  Eickard  O'Connell,  B.L.,  I  find  the  following  memoran- 
dum of  a  remarkable  incident : — 

'  Though  elected  in  '28,  the  Liberator  never  claimed  to 
sit  in  virtue  of  that  election  until  after  the  passing  of  the 
Emancipation  Act,  which  received  the  Eoyal  assent  April  13, 
1829.  A  few  days  after  that  a  motion  was  made  by  Sir 
Francis  Burdett  that  Mr.  O'Connell,  having  been  returned 
member  for  Clare,  he  be  now  admitted  to  take  his  seat  on 
taking  the  oath  provided  by  the  Emancipation  Act.  After 
two  nights'  debate,  a  majority  decided  that  O'Connell,  having 
been  elected  before  the  passing  of  the  Act,  could  not  take 
his  seat  unless  he  took  the  oath  obligatory  with  all  members 
at  the  time.  And  a  motion  was  carried  that  he  should 
attend  the  next  evening,  and  that  the  clerk  was  to  tender 
that  oath  to  him  at  the  table  of  the  House.  I  was  present, 
and  anyone  who  witnessed  the  scene  can  never  forget  it. 
The  excitement  was  intense ;  breathless  silence  prevailed  in 
that  crowded  assembly  when  he  was  introduced  by  Sir  F. 
Burdett  and  Lord  Duncannon.  The  Speaker  then  in- 
formed him  of  the  resolution  of  the  House  on  the  previous 
night — that  he  could  not  take  his  seat  unless  he  took  the 


1829 


0' CONN ELL  AND   THE   OATH 


185 


oath  prescribed  at  the  time  he  was  elected.  The  Liberator 
then  said,  "  May  I  ask  to  see  the  oath  ?  "  The  clerk  was 
directed  to  hand  him  the  oath,  which  was  printed  on  a  large 
card.  O'Connell  put  on  his  spectacles  and  perused  the 
oath  with  deepest  attention.  One  would  suppose  he  had 
never  seen  the  oath  before  ;  during  the  few  minutes  he  was 
so  perusing  it  the  smallest  pin  could  be  heard  drop.  He 
then  said,  "  I  see  in  this  oath  one  assertion  as  to  a  matter  of 
fact  which  I  know  to  be  false.  I  see  in  it  another  assertion 
as  to  a  matter  of  opinion  which  I  believe  to  be  untrue.  I 
therefore  refuse  to  take  that  oath,"  and,  with  an  expression 
of  the  most  profound  contempt,  he  flung  the  card  from 
him  on  the  table  of  the  House.  The  House  was  literally 
"  struck  of  a  heap"  No  other  phrase  that  I  know  of  but 
that  quaint  old-fashioned  one  can  accurately  describe  the 
feeling  of  amazement  that  pervaded  Parliament  for  some 
minutes  after  the  card  was  thus  contemptuously  flung  on 
the  table.  The  Speaker  then  said :  "  The  hon.  and  learned 
gentleman,  having  refused  to  take  the  oath,  will  please 
retire  below  the  bar,"  and  the  Liberator,  again  leaning  on 
Burdett  and  Duncannon,  came  below  the  bar  and  sat  near 
me  under  the  gallery.  In  the  debate  that  ensued  the 
speakers  on  all  sides  paid  him  the  highest  compliments,  but 
it  ended  in  the  issuing  of  a  new  writ  for  Clare.  The  words 
I  give  above  are  the  ipsissima  verba — the  precise  syllables 
used  by  him  on  that  memorable  occasion — and  I  never  saw 
them  accurately  given  yet  in  any  account  of  the  trans- 
action. 

'  The  language  attributed  to  him  by  Mr.  Wendell  Phillips 
in  his  lecture,  however  suited  it  may  be  to  an  American 
audience,  would  certainly  have  been  out  of  place  in  the 
British  Senate,  and  the  Liberator  would  never  think  of  using 
such  language.  There  is  an  error  in  another  part  of  the 
lecture.  He  states  that  O'Connell  was  the  first  Catholic  who 
sat  in  St.  Stephen's  for  700  years ;  there  were  none  but 
Catholics  in  Parliament  then,  and  even  so  late  as  James  II. 
there  were  many  Catholics  in  both  Houses.' 

To  James  Sugrue. 

Bury  St.,  London :  May  14th,  1829. 

My  dear  Friend, — The  hour  of  combat  approaches.  At 
half-past  three  to-morrow  the  question  is  to  be  tried. 


186     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  v. 

I  have  great  declarations  of  support  from  various 
quarters ;  Brougham,  Burdett,  Lord  Althorp,  Baines,  and 
many,  very  many  other  great  names,  are  active  to  assist 
me.  I  repeat,  that  if  the  Government  does  not  take  a  very 
decided  part  against  me,  I  am  quite  safe.  It  is  admitted 
on  all  hands  that  I  have  proved  my  right. 

Have  you  heard  of  the  conduct  of  the  English  Catholics 
towards  me  ?  They  have  a  club  here  called  the  '  Cis-Alpine,' 
a  bad  name,  you  will  say.  They  had  been  much  divided 
amongst  themselves,  and  were  now  about  all  to  reunite. 
I  agreed  to  be  proposed  into  it,  when,  behold  !  they  met  the 
day  before  yesterday  and  black-beaned  me. 

However,  I  believe  it  has  knocked  up  the  club,  as  Howard 
of  Corby  and  several  others  at  once  declared  that  they 
would  never  again  come  near  it. 

Mr.  Blount  has  behaved  exceedingly  well  on  this  occasion  ; 
no  man  could  behave  better.  I  believe  there  are  many  of 
them  highly  indignant  at  the  conduct  of  the  rest ;  and,  at 
all  events,  I  heartily  forgive  them  all.  But  it  was  a  strange 
thing  of  them  to  do ;  it  was  a  comical  '  testimonial '  of  my 
services  in  emancipating  them.  It  would  be  well,  perhaps, 
if  I  could  un-emancipate  some  of  them. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  N.  Pur  cell  0' Gorman. 

Bury  St. :  17th  May,  1829. 

My  dear  O'Gorman, — I  got  a  jealous  note  from  you  con- 
veying two  letters,  which  were  duly  forwarded.  I  had  not  time 
to  reply  sooner  to  your  observations,  or  rather  accusations, 
which,  indeed,  might  have  been  done  by  pleading  not  guilty 
to  it.  You  accuse  me  of  having  concealed  from  you  my 
plan  respecting  the  taking  my  seat.  Indeed  you  wrong  me. 
I  told  you  my  plan,  and  you  at  that  time  distinctly  con- 
demned it.  I  was  to  give  up  the  seat  if  the  Ministry  con- 
sidered my  assertion  of  the  right  a  measure  of  hostility  to 
themselves ;  and  secondly,  that  I  would  give  up  the  seat  if 
the  Ministry  would  oppose  me  as  a  Government  measure. 
I  endeavoured  to  persuade  you  that  I  was  right  in  making 


1829 


DIFFICULTY  IN   TAKING  HIS  SEAT 


187 


these  offers,  but  you  thought  that  I  should  at  all  events  have 
insisted  on  taking  my  seat.  Perhaps  you  were  right  and 
I  was  wrong  in  my  course,  but  surely  everything  I  said  must 
have  convinced  you  of  my  intention  of  taking  my  seat,  if 
the  Government  gave  me  a  favorable  answer  to  each  of  the 
propositions  which  I  thus  made  them.  Since  you  left  I 
got  those  answers,  and  of  course  I  then  proceeded  to  assert 
my  right  to  the  seat.  Thus  I  concealed  nothing  from  you, 
nor  did  I  now  or  at  any  time  of  my  life  give  you  cause  for 
real  jealousy  in  any  one  scene  of  our  political  lives.  My 
fate  in  the  House  is  in  the  scale.  I  think  I  shall  succeed. 
The  Ministry  are  not  against  me  ;  the  greater  part  of  the 
Orange  members  have  declared  in  my  favor.  The  only 
thing  against  me  is  the  ipse  dixit  of  that  hopeful  nephew 
of  Lord  Manners,  the  Speaker.5  The  debate  will  be  re- 
sumed early  to-morrow,  but  you  cannot  possibly  have  an 
account  of  the  result  by  the  post  of  to-morrow,  nor  perhaps 
by  that  of  Tuesday.  There  is  no  doubt  whatsoever  but  that 
I  shall  be  heard  on  my  own  behalf  either  at  the  table  or 
at  the  Bar — the  question  really  is  at  wliicli.  After  the 
House  has  heard  me,  some  of  my  friends  will  move  that  I 
should  be  allowed  to  take  the  oath  in  the  Belief  Bill  and 
the  property  qualification  oath.  On  that  the  debate  will 
arise,  and  the  decision  will  decide  my  fate. 

Believe  me  to  be,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Charles  Sugrue,  Cork. 

Bury  Street :  20th  May,  1829. 

My  dear  Charles, — I  know  your  anxiety  to  hear  all 
about  me,  and  although  the  papers  have  communicated  to 
you  nearly  as  much  as  I  know  myself,  yet  I  cannot  but 
believe  that  you  would  not  be  displeased  at  my  own 
account. 

The  Government  behaved  to  me  with  the  greatest  dupli- 
city. They  distinctly  declared  that  they  would  not  make  it 

*  Manners  Sutton,  afterwards  Lord  Canterbury. 


188     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  v. 

a  Government  question  ;  and  when  a  gentleman  disposed  to 
vote  for  me  in  the  usual  way  wrote  to  the  Treasury  to  ask  to  tie 
with  a  Government  member,  he  got  an  official  letter  stating 
to  him  that  it  was  not  to  be  opposed  by  the  Ministry.  But 
this  promise  to  me  was  most  grossly  violated,  and  the  delay 
from  Friday  until  Monday  was  sought  for  by  Peel  for  the 
mere  purpose,  I  am  persuaded,  of  making  a  personal  can- 
vass against  me,  which  was  necessarily  more  tedious,  as,  to 
preserve  the  appearance  of  consistency  and  truth,  they  did 
not  issue  Treasury  tickets,  as  they  are  called.  The  truth 
is  the  Administration  is  an  exceedingly  weak  one,  and 
has  all  the  vices  of  weakness,  the  principal  of  which  are 
hypocrisy  and  falsehood.  I  should  still  have  had  a  chance 
of  success  but  for  the  conduct  of  Sir  James  Scarlett,6  who 
made  a  very  strong  and  argumentative  speech  in  my  favour, 
and  concluded  by  declaring  that  he  would  vote  against  me. 
This,  of  course,  was  a  decisive  blow.  But  the  Attorney- 
Generalship  is  vacant,  and  poor  Sir  James  is  a  man.  Alas 
for  humanity !  Thus  between  Tory  falsehood  and  hypocrisy, 
and  Whiggish  uncertainty,  the  question  was  lost.  There 
was  one  man  who  has  behaved  to  me  in  a  manner  which  ex- 
ceeds all  praise  :  that  is  Mr.  Brougham.  His  conduct  has 
been  kind,  generous,  and  persevering.  He  has  given  me 
the  full  benefit  of  his  great  talents  and  character.  There  is 
to  be  another  discussion  to-morrow  night,  but  I  do  not  con- 
tinue to  hope  for  any  favorable  result.  It  will,  however, 
expose  the  Ministry  to  the  derision  and  contempt  of  the 
public,  by  reason  of  their  legislating  heretofore  out  of  a 
paltry  and  pitiful  spitefulness  against  a  single  man.  I 
intend,  at  once,  to  address  the  Electors  of  Clare.  I  am 
assured  that  I  have  a  new  election  quite  secure ;  nay,  it  is 
said  that  there  will  be  no  rival  candidate.  At  all  events  it 
is  quite  certain  that  Vesey  FitzGerald  will  not  stand.  It 
would  be  folly  of  him  to  do  so,  as,  upon  the  death  of  his 
mother,  who  is  very  old  and  very  infirm,  he  is  to  be  a  peer. 
Thus  I  will  be  likely  to  have  a  great  triumph.  Indeed,  I  have 
every  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  result.  Brougham  told 

6  Afterwards  Lord  Abinger. 


1829  NEW  ELECTION  FOR   CLABE  189 

me  to-day  that  there  was  but  one  opinion  on  the  subject 
of  my  speech,  and  that  is,  that  my  success  in  a  Parlia- 
mentary career  is  quite  certain.  Lord  Lansdowne  conveyed 
to  me,  through  Tom  Moore,  his  opinion  that  from  report  he 
had  conceived  that,  however  suited  to  a  popular  assembly, 
or  mob,  my  eloquence  would  not  answer  for  the  refinement 
of  Parliament,  but  that  he  was  now  decidedly  convinced  of 
the  contrary.  The  Marquis  of  Anglesey  came  to  see  me 
twice  with  a  still  more  flattering  judgment.  I  do  not  men- 
tion these  things  out  of  vanity,  but  because  I  know  they 
will  give  you  pleasure.7  From  every  quarter  communications 
of  a  similar  description  have  reached  me. 

Give  my  most  affectionate  regards  to  the  mother  of  your 
children,  and  to  the  children  themselves.  Make  up  your 
mind  to  allow  a  couple  of  your  boys  to  spend  a  month  or 
six  weeks  at  Darrinane  this  summer. 

Ever  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  James  Sugrue.* 

London  :  May  21st,  1829. 

My  dear  James, — You  cannot  form  the  least  idea  of 
my  first  appearance  on  the  Parliamentary  stage.  My 
speech  was  a  dry  argument,  but  it  is  said  to  have  been  in 
manner  and  tact  beyond  what  could  have  been  conceived 
and  all  that  it  should  be. 

If  I  be  put  out  for  Clare  this  night,  which  is  very  pro- 
bable, I  have  had  a  kind  of  an  offer  of  Sifree  seat  for  the  rest 
of  the  session  for  a  borough,  and  to  address  Clare  at  once. 
Let  not  this  matter  get  into  the  newspapers. 

Most  faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell  returned  home  to  contest  Clare  for  the  second 
time,  and  was  received  at  the  landing-place  by  enthusiastic 
thousands.  The  treasury  of  the  late  Catholic  Association 
contained  a  sum  of  £5,000,  which  was  voted  to  defray  the 

7  Charles  Sugrue  was  the  first  cousin  of  O'Connell.         8  Another  cousin. 


190     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL    0' CON  NELL     CH.  v. 

expense  of  canvassing  the  county.     His  journey  by  road 
from  Dublin  to  the  south  proved  one  continued  ovation. 

Considerable  excitement  attended  the  renewed  canvass 
of  Clare.  The  subsequent  democrat  Smith  O'Brien  strongly 
opposed  O'Connell,  and  declared  that  the  county  gentry 
were  all  hostile  to  his  candidature.  Tom  Steele,  a  Pro- 
testant gentleman  of  Clare,  thereupon  challenged  O'Brien  ; 
they  exchanged  shots,  and  O'Brien  was  proceeding  home 
when  another  Clare  man,  O'Gorman  Mahon,  invited  him 
to  mortal  combat,  but  on  O'Brien  explaining  that  his 
language  did  not  apply  to  'Mr.  Mahon '  the  affair  termi- 
nated. The  Liberator  was  re-elected  for  Clare. 

To  Win.  Roche,  Limerick. 

Bury  St.,  London :  22  May,  1829. 

My  dear  Sir, — Many,  many  thanks,  not  in  words,  but 
from  my  heart.  I  am  determined  to  contest  Clare,  which 
I  would  now  do  even  if  I  was  undetermined  before  I  got 
your  kindest  note.  My  accounts  thence  are  most  favorable. 
What  care  I  for  any  political  event  when  I  am  sure  of  the 
cordial  friendship  of  such  men  as  you  ?  Desiring  my  best 
regards  to  your  brother,9 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  return  of  Villiers  Stuart  for  Waterford  in  1826  had 
been  regarded  as  a  great  triumph  by  the  popular  party,  and 
when,  three  years  later,  he  resigned  the  representation, 
O'Connell  stigmatised  the  act  as  one  of  political  cowardice. 
The  Beresfords  had  long  been  regarded  as  hereditary  ene- 
mies of  national  progress.  The  circumstances  attendant 
on  their  defeat  in  1826  are  doubtless  in  the  recollection  of 
the  reader.  This  influential  sept  again  started  Lord  George 
Beresford  for  the  seat  now  vacated  by  Stuart,  giving  it  to 
be  understood  that  they  were  prepared  to  lend  their  influ- 
ence to  a  final  settlement  of  the  Catholic  question.  Mr. 
Pierce  Mahony  was  asked  to  become  conducting  agent ;  as 
an  earnest  of  the  altered  views  of  the  Beresfords,  they  pro- 
posed that  O'Connell  and  Sheil  should  be  retained  as  their 
counsel. 

9  '  J.  B.,'  author  of  the  Essays  of  an  Octogenarian. 


1829  WATERFORD  ELECTION  191 

To  David  Maliony,  Dublin. 
(Private.)  Kilrush  :  14  June,  1829. 

My  dear  Maliony, — You  may  rely  upon  it  that  the  com- 
munication to  me  shall  be  strictly  confidential.  I  arn  ex- 
ceedingly delighted  at  the  offer  made  me,  as  it  proves  that 
the  memory  of  former  dissensions  is  to  be  buried  in  oblivion. 
No  man  living  more  heartily  desires  that  consummation  than 
I  do.  Before  I  accept  the  retainer,  I  wish  to  have  it  dis- 
tinctly understood  that  if  I  do  accept  it,  there  is  to  be  no 
expectation  that  I  will  do  anything  beyond  my  professional 
duty ;  that  is,  there  is  to  be  no  sale  by  me,  nor  any  pur- 
chase by  them,  of  my  political  exertion.  I  made  this 
stipulation  with  Villiers  Stuart,  and  although  I  went  beyond 
that  duty  for  him,  it  was  only  because  the  political  senti- 
ments I  then  advocated  were  more  mine  than  his.  This  is 
a  point  which  ought  to  be  distinctly  understood  before  I 
even  consider  whether  I  shall,  or  not,  accept  the  retainer. 
If  the  offer  of  it  under  those  circumstances  shall  be  re- 
peated— a  matter  of  which  I  entertain  some  doubt,  as,  out 
of  term,  I  made  Villiers  Stuart  pay  me  £600 — my  profes- 
sional remuneration  I  will  leave  to  you  and  your  brother, 
should  the  offer  be  repeated,  and  should  I  be  able  to  accept 
it.  I  need  not  tell  you  that  there  could  not  be  a  greater 
inducement  held  out  to  me  than  the  fact  that  you  and  your 
brother  are  the  law  agents  of  the  Beresford  family  on  this 
occasion.  I  have  been  always  exceedingly  well  treated  by 
that  family  when  they  employed  me  as  a  professional 
man. 

I  will  certainly  be  in  Dublin  on  Thursday  night,  at  the 
latest.  I  have  this  county l  hollow :  half  the  county  is  not 
yet  gone  through,  and  my  majority  is  already  certain.  It 
is  impossible  that  there  should  be  a  serious  contest.  You 
know  I  would  not  deceive  you ;  but  I  can  now  beat  even 
Vesey  FitzGerald,  three  to  one.  No  other  person  could 
stand  one  hour :  the  popular  excitement  and  enthusiasm 
are  greater  than  ever.  How  wise  in  Master  Peel  and  Co. 

1  The  county  Clare. 


192     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CONN ELL     CH.  v. 

to  send  me  back.     I  destroyed  your  letter.     No  human 
being  shall  know  anything  of  its  contents  from 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Pierce  Mahony  to  Ms  brother  David. 

Union  Hotel :  19th  June,  1829. 

My  dear  David, — I  have  seen  Lord  George  Beresford 
this  day  on  the  subject  of  the  Water  ford  election.  I  read 
to  his  Lordship  my  letter  to  you  of  yesterday,  of  which  he 
approved ;  and  I  have  now  to  request  that  you  will  write  a 
note  to  Mr.  D.  O'Connell,  stating  that  it  is  his  Lordship's 
desire  to  secure  his  professional  services  at  the  next  election 
for  the  county  of  Waterford,  for  such  member  of  Lord 
Waterford's  family  as  may  be  a  candidate  on  that  occasion 
for  that  county ;  that  at  present,  Lord  George  Beresford  is 
the  person  selected ;  and  in  addition  to  the  twenty  guineas 
retainer,  that  we  are  authorised  to  say  that,  whether  there 
shall  be  a  contest  or  not,  Mr.  O'Connell  shall  receive  £300 
for  his  fee,  and  if  there  shall  be  a  contest,  £600.  You  will 
write  Mr.  Sheil 2  a  similar  note,  stating  that,  in  addition  to 
his  retainer,  he  shall  receive  £200  if  no  contest,  and  £400 
if  there  shall  be  one.  This  arrangement  will,  I  trust,  be 
satisfactory  to  each  of  these  gentlemen.  It  was  suggested 
by  me,  yesterday,  as,  under  all  circumstances,  the  most 
equitable. 

I  again  repeat  that  neither  Lord  Waterford,  or  his 
friends,  intend  in  any  degree  to  compromise  their  politics 
by  selecting  Messrs.  O'Connell  and  Sheil  for  their  counsel ; 
neither  is  it  to  be  understood  that  either  of  these  gentlemen 
are  expected  to  compromise  theirs,  by  the  acceptance  of 
their  retainers.  But,  of  course,  we  expect  from  them,  as 
we  would  from  any  other  gentlemen  of  their  profession,  that 
bond  fide  exercise  of  talent  which  their  duty  as  counsel 
obliges  them  to  give  in  support  of  their  client.  It  would 
be  an  insult  to  them  if  I  doubted  for  a  moment  that  they 

2  O'Connell's  able  colleague  at  the  late  Catholic  Association. 


1829 


NEGOTIATION   WITH  MAHONY 


193 


are  ready  to  make  this  return  for  the  confidence  which  is 
placed  in  them. 

Indeed,  I  feel  that  a  greater  compliment  could  not  be 
paid  to  their  talents  and  station,  than  the  proposition  thus 
made,  by  a  family  they  have  so  violently  opposed  on  so 
many  occasions.  It  is,  besides,  a  strong  indication  of  the 
disposition  of  the  friends  of  the  Government  to  give  an 
example  of  forbearance  and  forgetfulness  of  all  that  has 
passed  during  the  late  struggle. 

Ever  yours, 

PIERCE  MAHONY. 

O'Connell  having  '  slept  over '  the  proposal,  felt  that  it 
would  be  wiser  to  put  an  end  to  the  negotiation.  He  was  then 
in  very  embarrassed  pecuniary  circumstances,  and  it  was  not 
without  a  struggle  that  he  rejected  the  offer. 

To  David  Mahony,  Dublin. 

Merrion  Square :  21st  June,  1829. 

My  dear  Mahony, — The  letter  of  your  brother  is  quite 
satisfactory  in  all  its  professional  details.  I  entirely 
acquiesce  in  all  he  says  of  professional  duty  and  emolu- 
ment. 

I  am  also  proud  of  the  selection  made  of  me  by  Lord 
Waterford,  as  a  professional  man ;  the  certainty  that  he 
and  his  family  concur  with  all  the  real  friends  of  Ireland  in 
burying  in  oblivion  all  former  feuds,  is  both  satisfactory  and 
consolatory.  For  my  humble  part,  I  am  impressed  with 
the  strongest  conviction  that  the  distinctions  between 
Protestant  and  Catholic,  in  politics,  should  be  for  ever 
forgotten. 

I  would  not,  therefore,  have  it  conceived  for  one  moment 
that  my  declining  to  accept  the  retainer  has  any  other 
source  than  this :  that  having  now  ascertained  the  certainty 
of  my  return  for  Clare,  I  do  not  feel  at  liberty  to  be  of 
counsel  to  any  candidate  pending  the  Parliament ;  as  a 
member  of  the  House,  I  consider  myself  precluded  from 
being  so ;  because  if  there  were  a  disputed  return,  I  would 

VOL.  i.  o 


194     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  v. 

be  liable  to  be  one  of  the  judges  of  that  return,  so  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  me  to  pre-engage  my  mind  by  my 
advice  as  counsel.  If  there  shall  be  no  new  election,  until 
the  general  election,  I  will  then  be  too  occupied  for  myself 
to  be  able  to  assist  any  other  person.  Of  course  you  will 
distinctly  understand  that  I  do  not  consider  myself  any 
longer  at  liberty  to  be  professionally  engaged  against  the 
interest  of  Lord  Waterford.  My  present  prospects  in  Clare 
thus  excluding  me  from  accepting  any  such  retainer,  I 
again  beg  leave  to  express  my  great  gratification  at  the 
matter  and  manner  of  the  communication  to  me. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry,  M.P. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  12  September,  1829. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  fear  your  estimate  of  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington's power  and  intentions  is  likely  to  be  entirely  falsi- 
fied. I  confess  it  is  not  possible  to  entertain  a  worse  opinion 
of  any  Administration  than  I  do  of  the  present.  They 
seem  to  me  to  be  the  mere  tools  of  that  most  execrable  of 
human  beings — qiiare  human — the  Duke  of  Cumberland. 

To  the  Knight  of  Kerry,  M.P. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  24  Sep.  1829. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  wish  you  could  give  me  any  evidence 
of  the  ministers'  intentions  to  do  good  to  Ireland.  All  I 
want  from  the  Government  is  to  give  the  Emancipation 
Act  its  natural  effect. 

You  are  aware  that  the  decided  countenance  given  to 
the  Orange  faction  prevents  Emancipation  from  coming 
into  play.  There  is  more  of  unjust  and  unnatural  viru- 
lence towards  the  Catholics  in  the  present  administration 
than  existed  even  before  the  passing  of  the  Emancipation 
Bill. 

Before  that  event  the  Irish  Government  was  shamed 
by  a  sense  of  the  decency  which  is  required  from  public 


1829       BREAKS   WITH  THE  KNIGHT   OF  KEEBY        195 

hostility.  The  Belief  Bill  has  just  enabled  them  to  act  with 
distrust — immediate  and  personal  rancour  on  the  one  hand, 
and  with  open  and  unblushing  favouritism  on  the  other. 
The  three  next  Judges  are  to  be  Joy,3  Leslie  Foster,4  and  Ser- 
geant Lefroy,5  unless  the  Solicitor-General  has  earned  a 
preference  by  his  candour  at  Clonmel.6  What  a  prospect 
for  another  generation  of  the  Irish  People  ! 

Believe  me, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


The  correspondence  which  O'Connell  had  long  main- 
tained with  the  Knight  of  Kerry  closed  with  these  lines 
Seven  months  later  the  Knight,  having  accepted  office 
under  the  Duke,  sought  re-election  for  his  native  county. 

Thereupon  O'Connell  published  a  letter  in  which  he  said 
that,  as  one  of  the  Knight's  constituents,  he  had  a  right, 
and  deemed  it  a  duty,  to  offer  the  electors  of  Kerry  some 
observations.  No  man,  he  said,  could  suspect  him  of  per- 
sonal hostility  towards  the  Knight.  He  had  long  honoured 
him  with  his  friendship,  which  had  continued,  he  was 
proud  to  add,  to  that  hour.  The  remarks  he  offered  had 
reference  solely  to  the  public  conduct  and  address  of  the 
Knight  of  Kerry.  But  O'Connell's  letter  was  more.  It  may 
be  found  in  the  Dublin  Evening  Post  of  April  17,  1830,  and 


3  Henry  Joy  became  Chief  Baron 
on  the  retirement  of  Mr.  O'Grady, 
January  6,  1830. 

4  Leslie    Foster    was   appointed 
Baron   of  the  Exchequer  July  13, 
1831.     '  Take  away  that  owl ;  it  re- 
minds me  of  Leslie  Foster,'  was  a 
remark   of   a    brother- judge  many 
years  after. 

5  Lefroy  did  not  obtain  a  judicial 
seat  until  twelve  years  from   this 
date.     In  1830 — stung  by  the  Gov- 
ernment declining  to  send  him  Judge 
of  Assize  as  usual — he  resigned  his 
Sergeantcy,    but   in   1841   accepted 
from  Peel  the  post  of  Baron  of  the 
Exchequer.     (See  letter  of  May  16, 
1827,  ante.) 

6  Mr.  John  Doherty  and  O'Con- 
nell had  been  friends  until  the  year 
1829,  when  at  the  Clonmel  Assizes 
a  breach    occurred    between    them 


which,  later  on,  was  widened  at 
Cork,  during  the  trial  of  the 
'  Doneraile  Conspirators.'  There  is 
now  before  me  a  long  letter  to 
O'Connell  dated  May  15,  1830,  in 
which  the  writer,  Mr.  Lanyon,  states 
that  Shell,  speaking  of  Doherty's 
conduct  at  Clonmel,  said  it  was 
'  atrocious,  and  only  the  people  have 
treated  me  with  ingratitude  I  would 
put  forward  in  the  Times  the  facts 
I  have  collected  here  against  him 
and  crush  him  as  a  public  man.' 
O'Connell  assailed  Doherty  in  Par- 
liament in  words  hardly  less  tren- 
chant than  the  philippic  addressed 
by  Grattan  to  Flood.  Doherty  re- 
torted in  a  masterpiece  of  polite 
venom.  Soon  after  he  was  made 
Chief  Justice  on  the  forced  retirement 
of  Lord  Norbury. 

o  2 


196     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  v. 

records  a  formidable  indictment  against  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington. 

The  Knight  had  been  the  early  associate  of  the  Duke 
in  the  festivities  of  the  Irish  Court.  The  latter,  in  his 
splendid  prosperity,  always  reverted  to  those  hours  with 
pleasure,  and  honoured  '  Maurice  Fitzgerald '  with  special 
regard.  'It  was  not  easy  to  resist  place/  writes  Sheil, 
'  when  held  out  by  the  hand  of  an  old  friend  to  one  who 
stood,  perhaps,  in  some  domestic  need  of  it.'  The  Duke's 
letters  to  the  Knight  of  Kerry  are  still  preserved,  and 
would  make  a  most  interesting  volume.  Fitzgerald  was  a 
high-minded  Irishman  of  the  old  school,  and  Lever  has 
cleverly  sketched  him  in  '  The  Knight  of  Gwynne.' 

To  Nicholas  Maker,  Thurles. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  13th  Sept.  1829. 

My  dear  Maher, — I  fear  rny  reply  will  not  reach  you 
before  the  dinner  to  Mr.  Otway  Cave  has  been  actually  given. 
I  regret  extremely  that  the  shortness  of  the  notice  prevents 
me  from  being  able  to  pay  him  that  compliment.  I  think 
I  know  him  well,  and  I  am  convinced  the  House  of  Com- 
mons does  not  contain  a  man  of  more  pure,  honourable, 
and  patriotic  mind.  He  is  one  of  the  most  unaffectedly 
honest  public  men  in  the  British  dominions ;  and  I  trust  I 
shall  live  to  see  him,  and  that  shortly,  fill  the  station  of 
representative  of  your  county,7  a  county  which  has  been 
so  long  misrepresented  by  scions  of  a  very  worthless  ari- 
stocracy. Indeed,  my  indignation  against  the  great  men 
of  your  county  is  at  this  moment  at  its  height,  because  I 
learn  from  the  newspapers  that  they  are  so  totally  regard- 
less of  constitutional  feeling  and  common  humanity  as  to 
seek  to  have  the  infamous  measure  of  the  Insurrection  Act 
introduced.  But  their  vile  speculation  will,  I  trust,  be 

7  The   county   Tipperary.      The  F.  Prittie.     Eobert  Otway  Cave,  of 

Hon.  Bobert  Otway  Cave  was  not  Castle  Otway,  was  the  son  of  Lord 

elected    for   Tipperary   until    1835.  Braye.     Cave's  popular  sympathies 

The  successful   candidates  in  1830  were  not  lessened  by  his  marriage 

were   Thomas  Wyse,  who   had  re-  with  Sophia,  daughter  of  Sir  Francis 

cently    written    a    Histwy    of   the  Burdett.     He    died    November    30, 

Catholic  Association,  and  the  Hon.  1844. 


1829  PUECELL   0' GORMAN  197 

disappointed  by  the  firmness  of  the  Government  and  the 
better  sense  of  Parliament.  The  people,  too,  should  be 
thoroughly  aware  that  the  way  to  defeat  their  enemies  is  to 
observe  the  law,  to  avoid  all  riots  and  outrages,  and  not 
strengthen  the  hands  of  their  enemies  by  committing 
crimes.  Crimes  must  and  will  be  punished.  The  crimes 
against  the  people  are  for  the  present  less  likely  to  meet 
punishment. 

But  the  scenes  that  are  gone  by  will  never  be  repeated, 
and  the  people  will  themselves  learn  that  the  way  to  tri- 
umph over  their  malignant  enemies  is  to  abstain  from 
secret  societies,  illegal  oaths,  and  Whiteboy  outrages.  If 
Mr.  Otway  Cave  were  the  representative  of  your  county  he 
would  cause  the  magistracy  to  be  purged,  or  he  would  at 
least  expose  the  delinquencies  which  the  improper  part  of 
them  may  commit. 

Faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  N.  Purcell  O'Gorman. 
(Confidential.)  Merrion  Square  :  24th  Dec.  1829. 

My  dear  O'Gorman, — I  have  just  written  to  Waterford 
about  you.  I  was  desirous  to  see  you  when  I  heard  that 
Pierse  George 8  would  not  stand.  I  have  strongly  urged  them 
to  call  upon  you,  and  to  do  so  in  a  manner  that  would 
assure  you  that  not  one  sixpence  expense  on  your  part 
should  be  required.  Before  my  letter  reaches  Waterford 
perhaps  some  other  candidate  may  be  selected,  but  if  not,  I 
think  you  will  hear  from  him.  I  intended  to  give  £50  for 
any  candidate.  I  will  give  £100  if  you  are  the  man.  You 
know  my  frankness,  therefore  you  will  believe  me  when  I 
say  I  will  support  you  with  as  much  zeal  as  you  have  done 
me.  Do  not  hesitate  for  one  instant  if  the  committee  in 
Waterford  call  on  you.  They  cannot  propose  to  you  to  stand 
without  completely  discharging  you  of  all  expenses  what- 
ever. That  must  be  a  sine  qua  non,  and  I  have  said  so  to 

8  Pierse  George  Barren. 


198     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      OH.  v. 


them.  As  soon  as  we  get  through  the  records  I  will  go  down 
to  join  you  in  your  canvass. 

I  will  buy  a  £20  rent  charge,  so  as  to  qualify  myself  to 
speak  as  a  freeholder,  and  to  vote  hereafter.  I  have  written 
down  to  get  it  to  buy.  We  will  go  to  every  parish  in  the 
county,  and  address  the  people  from  all  the  chapels,  or  at 
least  as  many  of  them  as  may  be  requisite.  How  I  long  to 
see  your  bold  fist  on  a  frank  !  The  greatest  blow  the  aristo- 
cracy ever  got,  the  greatest  triumph  the  Association  ever 
attained,  would  be  by  beating  the  Beresfords  with  the  worthy 
secretary. 

If  the  thing  take  the  turn,  I  wish  surely  O'Gorman 
Mahon  will  come  forward  ;  what  he  saved  from  Clare  he 
should  give  now.  I  am  full  of  spirits  at  the  prospect  of 
your  return.  ^  believe  ^  &^ 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  J.  Sugrue. 
5  Maddox  Street,  London  :  Feb.  9th,  1830. 

My  dear  James, —  ...  I  am  fast  learning  the  tone  and 
temper  of  the  House,  and  in  a  week  or  so  you  will  find  me 
a  constant  speaker.  I  will  soon  be  struggling  to  bring 
forward  Irish  business. 

I  am  exceedingly  amused  by  the  exhibitions  of  the 
human  mind  that  surround  me.  Such  a  finished  - 

as9  is,  I  never   witnessed.     Indeed,  there  is  more 

folly  and  nonsense  in  the  House  than  anywhere  out  of  it. 
There  is  a  low  and  subservient  turn  of  thinking,  and  there 
is  a  submission  to  authority  which  is  to  the  last  degree 
debasing.  In  haste, 

Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


9  This  allusion  is  probably  to  the 
then  Chief  Secretary  for  Ireland, 
whom  O'Connell  elsewhere  styles  '  a 
namby  pamby  young  gentleman.' 
Among  the  stings  with  which  he 
teased  him  were,  '  I  have  heard 


that  barbers  train  their  appren- 
tices by  making  them  shave  beggars. 
My  wretched  country  is  the  scene 
of  his  political  education — he  is  the 
shave-beggar  of  the  day  for  Ire- 
land.' 


1830 


THOMAS  ATTWOOD 


199 


To  Thomas  Attwood,1  Birmingham. 

5  Maddox  St. :  Feb.  16th,  1830. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  at  length  been  able  to  look  into 
all  the  English  Statutes  which  may  be  considered  to  bear 
upon  the  Birmingham  Union,  and  I  have  great  pleasure  in 
being  able  to  pledge  myself,  as  a  professional  man,  that 
your  Society  or  Union  is  perfectly  legal.  I  venture  to  ask 
you  to  act  with  confidence  in  this  opinion,  as  I  have  had  no 
small  reason  to  turn  my  attention  to  subjects  of  this  de- 
scription. I  will  to-morrow  find  means  to  transmit  my 
subscription  to  you  ;  that  subscription  will  be  a  small  one, 
but  it  shall  be  continued  until  the  attainment  of  a  thorough 
Keform  in  the  House  of  Commons.  I  am  quite  convinced 
that  the  British  and  Irish  nations  cannot  retain  their 
stations  amidst  the  Powers  of  the  World ;  neither  can  their 
people  be  restored  to  plenty  and  prosperity  without  a  radical 
reform  of  the  law,  and  of  the  present  corrupt  state  of  re- 
presentation. To  these  great  objects  I  devote  all  my  facul- 
ties, and  I  beg,  with  the  view  to  the  attainment  of  these 
great  objects,  to  have  my  humble  name  enrolled  on  the 
Birmingham  Beform  Union. 

There  are  two  principal  means  of  attaining  our  consti- 
tutional objects,  which  will  never  be  lost  sight  of.  The 
first  is  the  perpetual  determination  to  avoid  anything  like 
physical  force  or  violence,  and  by  keeping  in  all  respects 
within  the  letter  as  well  as  the  spirit  of  the  law,  to  continue 
peaceable,  rational,  but  energetic  measures,  so  as  to  com- 
bine the  wise  and  the  good  of  all  classes,  stations,  and 
persuasions  in  one  determination,  to  abolish  abuse  and 
renovate  the  tone  and  strength  of  the  representative  system. 
The  other  is  to  obtain  funds,  by  the  extension  of  a  plan  of 
collection  which  shall  accept  from  no  man  more  than  he 
can,  with  the  utmost  facility,  spare,  even  in  these  times  of 


1  Attwood,  whose  name  may  be 
vainly  searched  for  in  most  dic- 
tionaries of  biography,  was  the 
Bright  of  his  day  and  the  contem- 


porary of  Cobbett.  A  fine  statue  to 
his  memory  has  been  erected  in 
Birmingham.  The  '  Union '  was  a 
local  league  to  promote  Beform. 


200    COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CONN  ELL     CH.  v. 

universal  distress.  The  multiplication  of  small  sums,  of 
very  small  sums,  should  be  the  proper,  as  it  would  be  the 
efficacious  popular  treasury.  Its  guardian  should  be  the 
publication  of  every  item  of  receipt  and  expenditure.  I 
offer  my  experience  to  assist  in  arranging  a  plan  for  this 
purpose.  The  people  should  incessantly  call  for  Reform, 
until  their  cry  is  heard  and  felt  within  the  walls  of  West- 
minster. 

Your  very  faithful 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


201 


CHAPTEE   VI. 

The  New  Association  formed,  but  suppressed — The  O'Connell  Tribute— 
His  Gratitude  — '  Long  live  King  William  ' — A  Sting  for  Staunton — 
Eichard  Barrett — Wellington  again  at  the  helm — Goulburn  and  O'Con- 
nell— General  Cloney — O'Connell  M.P.  for  Waterford — John  condemns 
his  Brother  Dan  for  agitating  '  Eepeal ' — Late  Hours  in  the  House — 
A  New  King  for  Belgium — Eevolution  in  France — Continued  Attempt  to 
suppress  his  Meetings  by  Proclamation — Affair  of  Honour  with  Sir  H. 
(afterwards  Lord)  Hardinge  —  Staunton  again  —  The  Northumberland 
Viceroyalty — The  Leinster  Declaration — The  Eepeal  Struggle — Primate 
Curtis  —  National  Education  —  Alarming  Outlook — A  Eush  upon  the 
Banks  for  Gold  advised — A  Spy  in  the  Camp — Marcus  Costello — The 
Second  Viceroyalty  of  Lord  Anglesey — Effort  to  induce  O'Connell  to 
take  Office — Doherty  made  Chief  Justice — A  Slumbering  Volcano — 
Lady  Glengall— Mr.  Wallace,  Q.C. 

EARLY  in  1830  O'Connell  founded  'The  Society  of  the 
Friends  of  Ireland.'  He  issued  addresses  in  its  name  to 
the  people,  calling  for  a  general  union  of  Irishmen,  and 
urging  a  spirit  of  harmony  and  affection,  and  Christian 
charity.  Some  hot-headed  friends,  however,  thronged 
forward  with  the  rest,  and  the  result  was  a  Proclamation, 
dated  April  24,  1830,  suppressing  the  '  Friends  of  Ireland.' 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

London :  May  3rd,  1830. 

I  am  too  much  hurried  with  Parliamentary  business  to 
be  able  to  address  the  people  of  Ireland  in  the  manner  I 
could  wish  upon  the  late  despotic  Proclamation.  It  is  a 
weak  effort  to  obstruct  the  union  of  Irishmen  in  the  defence 
of  their  common  country,  and  to  control,  and,  if  possible, 
stifle  the  public  voice  whilst  they  are  laying  enormous 
burthens  of  taxation  on  Ireland,  taking  measures  to  ruin 
the  agriculture,  and  annihilate  the  public  press.  Eeally,  it 
is  '  too  bad '  to  issue  a  gagging  proclamation  at  such  a 
moment  as  this.  But  the  effect  will  be  to  rally  all  parties 
in  favor  of  Ireland ;  and  as  to  putting  down  conciliation 


202     COBRESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vi. 

and  national  exertion,  it  shall  be  vain.  I  have  a  plan  of 
going  round,  as  soon  as  Parliament  rises,  to  each  county  in 
Ireland,  in  order  to  see,  on  the  spot,  what  can  be  done  to 
conciliate  the  different  parties,  to  obliterate  animosities,  to 
arrange  for  the  ensuing  elections,  so  as  to  set  up  and  sup- 
port men  of  intelligence  and  honesty  for  each  county  ;  and 
to  organise  a  penny  a  man  subscription  in  each  parish,  to 
be  applicable  for  the  support  of  the  electors  of  that  parish 
in  their  voting  honestly  and  independently.  Eely  on  it, 
that  they  must  make  an  Act  of  Parliament  against  me,  by 
name,  or  they  shall  not  prevent  me  from  reconciling  Irish- 
men to  each  other,  and  combining  the  great  majority,  if  not 
all  of  them,  for  the  utility  of  our  common  but  oppressed 
country. 

The  annual  O'Connell  Tribute,  which  in  some  subsequent 
years  rose  to  .£16,000  and  higher,  was  projected  at  this  time 
by  Mr.  Patrick  Vincent  FitzPatrick.  The  following  letters 
make  interesting  reference  to  this  great  fact.1  They  are  the 
first  of  a  collection  of  much  value,  embracing  several  hun- 
dred, and  containing  the  outpourings  of  O'Connell's  inmost 
heart.  FitzPatrick  was  an  able  financier  and  might, 
perhaps,  be  styled  '  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  to  the 
uncrowned  monarch  of  Ireland.' 

O'Connell  to  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

5  Maddox  Street,  London :  10th  May,  1830. 
My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  write  merely  to  return  you  and 
my  excellent,  excellent  friend2  my  most  sincere  and  cordial 

1  See  also  p.  212,  infra.  in  Chancery,  I  find  in  a  letter  written 

2  The"'  excellent,  excellent  friend '  by  the  late  Mr.  Baldwin,  Q.C. : — 
was  Jeremiah  Murphy,  of  Hyde  Park,  '  The  Lord-Lieutenant  wrote  to 
near  Cork.     It  has  been  said  that  Eedington  to  say  that  my  appoint- 
O'Connell  sometimes  failed  to  repay  ment  was  actually  made,  when  such 
obligations    to    men  who   had  ren-  a  pressure    came    that    Lord   John 
dered  him  material  help  ;  but  cer-  Eusaell  thought  they  should  yield 
tainly  in  the  case  of  FitzPatrick  or  to  it.   O'Connell's  statement  is,  that 
of  Murphy  this  remark  fails  to  ap-  he  called  on  the  Lord-Lieutenant  as 
ply.     Sixteen  years  later — just  nine  father  of  the  Catholic  Bar,  and  de- 
months  before  his  death — O'Connell  manded  the  situation  for  a  Catholic, 
provided  for  the  son  of  his  '  excellent  The    Lord -Lieutenant   told   him   it 
friend.'     The   very  curious  circum-  was  arranged  that  a  person  of  that 
stances  attending  the  appointment  persuasion  should  have  it.     O'Con- 
of  Jeremiah   Murphy,  Q.C.,  Master  nell    then    asked    it    for    Murphy. 


1830 


THE   'TBIBUTE' 


203 


thanks.  Indeed,  to  him  I  cannot  be  sufficiently  grateful, 
because  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  I  should  be  ever  able  to 
evince  that  gratitude  otherwise  than  by  words.  To  you  it 
is  just  within  the  verge  of  possibility  that  some  occasion 
may  arrive  when  I  may  be  able  to  show  you  how  deeply 
obliged  I  am,  and  how  sensibly  I  feel  my  debt  of  obliga- 
tion to  you.  Believe  me,  it  consoles  me  to  think  that 
there  are  some  estimable  persons  who  look  to  me  with 
gratitude. 

I  approve  of  everything  you  suggest,  and  beg  of  you  to 
write  a  particular  note  to  each  of  my  own  connections  who 
have  (not)  subscribed,  stating  that  the  subscriptions  of  others 
are  delayed  in  consequence  of  the  non-receipt  of  theirs. 

I  am  assured  that  unless  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer 
be  coerced  by  opposition  from  Ireland,  he  will  force  his 
measures  through  the  Houses.  The  only  persons  who  re- 
fused peremptorily  to  sign  against  the  new  taxation 3  were 
the  two  O'Briens  from  Clare  and  Lord  George  Beresford. 

The  King4  may  live  months.  He  is  not  likely  to  survive 
one  fortnight. 

I  begin  my  serious  attack  on  Dogherty6  this  night. 

To  Philip  Barron,  Waterford.6 

London  :  Jane  7, 1830. 

My  dear  Sir, — You  are  quite  right — the  time  is  come 
when  Ireland  should  one  and  all  rouse  itself  to  fling  off  the 
administration  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington.  He  is,  in  my 


The  Lord-Lieutenant  said  he  was 
too  late,  as  I  was  appointed,  and  the 
letter  to  notify  it  to  the  Chancellor 
was  written  and  on  the  table. 
O'Connell,  finding  it  was  not  posted, 
and  consequently  no  official  commu- 
nication had  been  made,  insisted 
that  it  was  still  within  the  control 
of  the  Government,  and  asked  it  as 
a  personal  compliment  to  himself. 
To  this  they  yielded.  My  appoint- 
ment superseded — Murphy  substi- 
tuted for  me.' 

And  a  better  appointment  than 
that  of  Jeremiah  Murphy  was  never 
made. 


3  What  these  taxes  were  O'Con- 
nell's  letter  of  July  1  explains. 

4  King  George  IV. 

s  Mr.  John  Doherty,  to  O'Con- 
nell's  indignation,  was  soon  after 
promoted  by  Lord  Anglesey.  Do- 
herty's  smart  reply  to  O'Connell's 
invective  in  Parliament  will  be  re- 
membered. Born  1783,  died  1850. 
O'Connell  always  spells  this  name 
in  the  old-fashioned  way,  'Dogherty.' 

6  Mr.  Barron  had  been  a  leading 
Catholic  Emancipator,  and  at  a  time 
when  Celtic  studies  were  not  the 
fashion,  published  a  series  of  bro- 
chures inculcating  the  culture  of 


204    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  vi. 

judgment,  wholly  unfit  for  the  office  of  Prime  Minister.  A 
portion  of  Ireland,  organised  by  the  Catholic  Association, 
of  whom  1,400  were  Protestants,  forced  him  to  grant 
Emancipation — but  he  granted  it  with  the  worst  grace 
possible.  He  added  to  it  the  disfranchisement  of  the  40s. 
freeholders,  the  suppression,  or  rather  attempt  at  suppres- 
sion, of  the  Monastic  Orders,  and  the  insult  to  our  Bishops  ; 
add  to  these  the  despotic  law  which  has  authorised  the 
Lord  Lieutenant  to  issue  his  late  proclamation.  In  the 
annals  of  legislation  there  never  was  so  unconstitutional  a 
law.  How  he  was  compelled  to  emancipate  is  well  known, 
but  he  threw  as  much  of  bitterness  into  the  cup  as  he 
possibly  could.  I  really  think  that  he  hates  or  despises 
Ireland.  His  powers,  too,  of  reasoning  appear  to  me  to  be 
of  the  lowest  class.  He  is  quite  the  commander-in-chief  of 
the  Ministry,  and  rules  the  men  who  have  the  littleness  to 
act  with  him  with  a  sway  almost  despotic.  I  think  his 
foreign  policy  of  the  worst  possible  description,  and  that 
the  tendency  of  his  public  measures  is  all  towards  arbitrary 
sway.  It  is,  in  short,  essential  to  the  peace  and  prosperity 
of  these  countries  that  we  should  have  another  Minister. 
As  to  Ireland,  the  insulting  and  insane  attempt  to  increase 
the  taxation  at  such  a  period  of  deep  distress  as  the  present 
is  a  proof  of  utter,  total  ignorance  of  our  real  situation,  or 
total  disregard  of  our  wants.  The  hour,  therefore,  is  come 
when  every  effort  should  be  made  to  press  on  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  Duke.  This  is  the  very  time  to  attack  his 
government  in  every  legal  and  constitutional  way.  I  very 
much  approve  of  your  plan  to  secure  a  gold  currency  for 
Ireland.  If  gold  be  good  for  England  as  a  medium  of  ex- 
change, it  ought  to  be  equally  good  for  Ireland.  Indeed, 
it  is  a  very  formidable  advantage  that  the  English  have  over 
us  in  this,  that  their  currency  is  of  actual  value  as  an 
article  of  commerce,  being  gold ;  and  that  we,  Irish,  should 
have  no  other  currency  than  mere  paper — in  itself,  as  an 

the   Irish  language.      He   was   the  newspaper  press   of   Waterford  and 

cousin  of  Sir  Henry  Winston  Barron,  elsewhere  exeroised   a   considerable 

M.P.,  and  of  William  Newell  Barron,  influence. 
Q.C.,    and  by  his   writings   in  the 


1830 


THE   '  TRIBUTE 


205 


article  of  commerce,  of  no  kind  of  value  whatsoever.  It  is 
too  bad  that  the  welfare  of  Ireland  should  be  thus  post- 
poned, as  it  were,  to  serve  England.  It  seems,  therefore, 
a  duty  to  rouse  the  people  to  effectuate  the  necessary 
change,  by  calling  for  gold  for  every  pound  note.  A  man 
that  has  a  pound  note  may  surely  as  well  have  a  sovereign. 
A  thousand  accidents  may  make  a  pound  note  not  worth 
li<i.  There  is  nothing  that  can  possibly  render  a  sovereign 
worth  less  than  20s.,  and  let  me  tell  you  that  it  may  again 
become  worth  30s.  of  the  then  currency.  Call,  there- 
fore, on  the  people — the  honest  unsophisticated  people — to 
send  in  the  bank  notes  of  every  description,  and  to  get 
gold.  Take  this  .as  a  measure  of  precaution  everywhere  ; 
let  it  spread  far  and  near ;  and  then  at  least  we  will  be  so 
far  on  a  par  with  England. 

Believe  me  to  be,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrlck. 

London  :  24th  June,  1830. 

My  dear  Friend, — There  is  one  thing  actually  oppresses 
my  mind  with  regard  to  you.  It  is  just  this.  I  cannot 
even  conjecture  when  or  how  I  shall  be  able  to  show  my 
gratitude  to  you.7  If  I  saw  any  prospect  of  letting  you  per- 
ceive how  cordially  grateful  I  am  to  you  it  would  serve  to 
relieve  me  from  some  anxiety.  Of  this  be  assured,  that  if 
the  opportunity  ever  occurs,  I  will  seize  it  with  avidity. 

Show  this  part  of  my  letter  to  Mr.  Dwyer,  and  if  he  has 
any  money  of  mine  he  will  give  it  to  you ;  if  not,  James 
Sugrue  writes  to-morrow,  and  on  receipt  of  his  letter  there 
will  be  an  abundant  fund  to  repay  you — and  to  repay  you 
with  gratitude — your  expenditures  on  that  journey  which 
has  been  so  beneficial  to  my  interests. 

Your  plan  of  a  '  Collection  Sunday '  I  highly  approve  of, 
but  it  cannot  be  realised  in  the  present  state  of  starvation. 
We  must  prepare  our  grounds  in  August  for  an  arrange- 
ment in  September — rather  late  in  that  month,  too,  it 
T  For  organising  the  O'Connell '  Tribute.' 


206     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' 'CONN 'ELL    CH.  vi. 

should  be.     I  will  communicate  with  you  again  upon  this 
invaluable  suggestion. 

There  is  nothing  new.     The  Ministry,  tottering,  despised 
and   despicable.     The  King  lingering  beyond  expectation, 
to  die  just  when  one  is  used  to  his  continuing  alive ! 
Believe  me,  most  gratefully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

George  IV.  died  on  June  26,  but  Parliament  was  not 
dissolved  until  July  24. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 
(Private.)  London :  June  28th,  1830. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  fear  I  led  you  astray  on  Saturday 
when  I  returned  vexed  at  the  absence  of  the  Lord  Chamber- 
lain. Some  fifty  or  sixty  members  were  sworn  in  after- 
wards. 

The  swearing-in  has  gone  on  all  day.  I  was  sworn  in 
about  one  o'clock :  at  that  time  more  than  three  hundred 
members  had  taken  the  oaths.  The  House  will  proceed  to 
business  to-morrow.  The  address  to  the  new  King  will 
be  moved  on  Wednesday.  It  is  said  that  Brougham  will 
move  an  amendment,  but  that  will  depend  on  intervening 
events. 

The  first  act  of  the  King  was  to  direct  that  the  Duke  of 
Norfolk  should  be  sworn  in  as  a  Privy  Councillor.  Long 
live  King  William ! 

His  second  act  was  the  direction  that  Sir  Sidney  Smith 
should  be  appointed  full  Colonel  of  Marines. 

Nothing  certain  as  yet  relative  to  the  new  administra- 
tion, nor  whether  there  will  be  any  important  changes. 
Some  changes  must  take  place. 

The  report  of  the  day  is  that  the  Parliament  will  con- 
tinue to  sit  for  six  weeks  ;  that  is,  that  the  greater  part  of 
the  business  will  be  regularly  gone  through.  In  short,  the 
period  is  critical  in  the  extreme,  and  nobody  knows  with 
certainty  what  the  next  event  will  be.  The  King  is  frank 
and  affable,  quite  ready  to  take  trouble  and  bustle.  He 
therefore  will  not  be  the  mere  puppet  of  his  Ministers.  He 


1830  'LONG  LIVE  KING    WILLIAM'  207 

has  not  abandoned  himself  at  once  to  the  Holland  House 
Party,  as  they  expected.  They  are,  you  know,  connected 
with  him  by  a  singular  cross.  The  son  of  Lady  Holland 
by  her  present  Lord,  while  she  was  legally  the  wife  of  another, 
is  married  to  one  of  the  FitzClarences. 

Yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  Richard  Barrett. 
(Private.)  London  :  1st  July,  1830. 

My  dear  Friend, — The  Stamp  Duties  were  abandoned ; 
the  increase  on  the  spirits  alone  remains ;  the  distillers  do 
not  complain,  so  that,  though  the  Freeman's  Journal  is  cer- 
tainly right  respecting  the  effect  of  the  new  tax,  yet  it  is 
not  worth  while  to  throw  away  any  good  agitation  on  that 
subject.  I  also  think  we  need  say  no  more  about  gold,  but 
perhaps  to  remark  on  the  arbitrary  act  of  the  Bank  of  Ire- 
land in  requiring  the  name  and  address  of  every  person 
requiring  gold.8  This  is  an  intimidation  which  should  be 
lashed ; 9  and  some  person  should  go  in  with  a  note,  or  notes, 
and  demand  payment  in  presence  of  a  witness,  and  then 
protest  the  note,  and  sue  them,  or  sue  them  without  a  pro- 
test. But  use  your  own  discretion  on  this  point.  What- 
ever you  do  on  this,  or  any  other  point,  I  will  readily  concur 
in,  because  you  see  the  home  market  closer  than  I  do.  Not 
that  I  think  we  should  retract  one  word  we  have  said  re- 
specting gold,  but  at  the  utmost  merely  cease  to  fan  the 
flame  for  the  present.  Yet  you  will  use  your  discretion. 

Now  for  news.  For  the  present  the  King  has  adopted 
"Wellington  as  the  head  of  the  administration.  The  only 
changes  now  contemplated  are  in  the  internal  arrangements 
of  the  Cabinet  itself.  Goulburn's  inefficiency  is  manifest 
to  everybody,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  must  be 

8  O'Connell,  in   a  public  letter,  condemns  the  act.     See  note  to  letter 

dated  January  14,  1831,  urged  a  run  of  November  27,  1830. 
upon  the  banks  for  gold.     His  kins-  9  Barrett  was  an  able  hand  in 

man    and    biographer,  Mr.    Fagan,  wielding  the  editorial  knout. 


208     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vi. 


shifted.8  They  do  not,  I  believe,  know  what  to  do  with 
him.  There  will  also  be  some  minor  arrangements,  but  at 
present  the  Cabinet  stands  firm.  Lord  Grey's  party  and 
Lord  Holland's  are  both  thrown  overboard,  and  accordingly 
hopes  are  being  blasted.  This  was  actually  begun  last  night. 
The  Lords  were  violent,  but  in  the  Commons  there  was  a 
degree  of  acrimony  and  virulence  seldom  witnessed.  It  was 
manifestly  the  first  ebullition  of  a  settled  party  spirit. 
Even  Lord  John  Russell  was  vituperative.  He  called  the 
Galway  Bill,  as  altered  by  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  a  job. 
Of  course  that  Bill  will  be  rejected  in  the  Commons. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

(Private.)  London  :  July  8th,  /30. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  cannot  avoid  remarking  on  the 
singularity  of  the  conduct  of  Staunton9  towards  me — that  I 
never  yet  was  in  any  critical  situation  but  he,  by  some 
accident  or  the  other,  threw  himself  into  the  opposite  scale. 
See  his  paper  of  Monday,  where  he  takes  part  with  the  re- 
porters. And  on  that  very  day  I  made  three  speeches 
which  would  have  advantaged  me  in  England  and  in  Ire- 
land, and  they  were  all,  to  use  the  galling  phrase,  'Burked.' 
Say  this  to  him  without  asperity,  but  with  a  sense  of  my 
not  having  deserved  from  him  this  usage.  You  already 
know  that  I  am  off  on  Sunday,  and  will  see  you,  please 
God,  early  on  Tuesday ;  this  will  give  me  time  for  further 
operations.  I  will  send  you  to-morrow  an  address  to  the 
Irish  electors  generally.  I  have  got  rather  good  news  from 


8  The  Bight  Hon.  William  Goul- 
burn  had  attained  an  unenviable 
fame  by  the  partisan  spirit  in  which 
he  discharged  the  duties  of  Chief 
Secretary  for  Ireland.  He  is  even 
said  to  have  been  a  member  of  the 
Orange  Society,  and  to  have  held 
'  the  Liberator '  in  special  aversion. 
One  night  both  happened  to  stay  at 
the  same  inn.  O'Connell,  before 
retiring  to  rest,  paced  the  corridor 
lilting  the  well-known  lines  of 
Moore : — 


'  We  tread  the  land  that  bore  us ; 
The  green  flag  glitters  o'er  us  ; 
The  friends  we've  tried 
Are  by  our  side.' 

Here  Goulburn's  door  softly  opened, 
and  his  head,  crowned  by  a  tall 
night-cap,  peered  forth. 

'  And  the  foe  we  hate  before  us  1  ' 
added  O'Connell,  pointing  at  the 
grotesque  object.  In  popped  Goul- 
burn's head  again. 

9  Editor  of  the  Morning  Register. 
author  of  Hints  for  Hardinge. 


1830 


POLITICAL   GOSSIP 


209 


Clare.  2nd,  I  am  invited  to  Drogheda ;  3rd,  I  have  had 
a  strong  invitation  to  Wexford,  exclusive  of  my  friend 
Cloney's 2  partial  wishes ;  4th,  the  Powers  wrote  to  me 
about  Waterford ;  5th,  I  have  been  written  to  about  County 
Galway ;  6th,  about  Meath  ;  7th,  about  Louth ;  8th,  about 
Cork;  and,  but  for  Lord  Kenmare's  brother,  I  would  be 
returned  for  Kerry. 

And  yet,  amidst  all  these  prospects,  I  know  not  what  to 
do.  Write  to  Tom  Steele  the  moment  you  receive  this,  or 
rather  to  Newell  Bridgman,  at  Ennis.  I  confess  I  would 
prefer  Wexford,  as  it  would  free  me  from  all  my  engage- 
ments, and  would  be  a  splendid  county.  The  letter  of 
Steele  gives  the  answer  of  Major  McNamara  in  a  way  that 
is  most  unsatisfactory.3 

You  will  perceive  that  my  anxiety  is  not  small  to  be 
able  to  take  a  decisive  course.  I  am  bound  to  McNamara 
too  strictly,  that  is  the  fact.4  There  is  nothing  new  ;  the 
King  doing  occasionally  strange  things,  and  every  effort 
making  to  keep  his  wildness  secret.  This,  however,  is  to 
be  treated  gently ;  we  must  not  quarrel  with  him  unneces- 
sarily. 

The  moment  I  get  over  I  will  agitate  strongly  an  Elec- 
tion Committee  for  every  county.  The  way  is  immediately 
to  have  an  investigation  made  as  to  the  capacity  of  each 
county  to  return  a  reformer ;  this  plan  makes  me  doubly 
anxious  to  be  in  Dublin.  All  the  Irish  business  will  be  over 
this  night.  I  was  unable  to  attend  last  night  for  more  than 
an  hour,  during  which  time  I  got  all  my  objections  to  Irish 
Bills  allowed  before  they  were  brought  forward. 

Sheil 5  has  given  up  Louth,  as  I  am  just  told.  If  I  got 
Wexford,  Sheil  could  easily  get  Drogheda,  and  the  more 
easily  for  my  breaking  the  way  for  him. 


2  The  rebel  general  in  1798.    He 
often  presided  as  chairman  at  the 
Catholic  Association.      Soon    after 
this    date   he   wrote   his   Memoirs, 
which  Maurice  O'Connell  prepared 
for  the  press. 

3  Steele  and   MacNamara   were 
influential  in   selecting    a    popular 

VOL.    I. 


candidate  for  Clare. 

4  It  was  Major  McNamara  who 
acted  as  O'Connell's  second  in  the 
duel  with  D'Esterre. 

s  Sheil,  on  reflection,  successfully 
contested  Louth  in  1831.  He  finally 
became  British  Minister  at  Flor- 


210     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  vi 

Do  not  laugh  at  me  for  being  so  uncertain  as  to  my 
course.  Yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  N.  Purcell  O'Gorman,  Dungarvan. 

(Private.)  Duckspool :  25th  July,  '30. 

My  dear  Purcell,—  If  I  knew  you  were  at  Ballygullane 
I  should  have  called  for  and  asked  your  personal  assistance.6 
I  have  got  the  second  votes  of  all  parties,  both  the  Duke's 7 
and  the  Beresfords.8  It  is  the  common  cant  of  election- 
eering to  talk  of  certainty  of  return,  but  my  host  John 
Galway,  who  knows  the  county  as  well  as  any  man  living, 
offers  in  vain  fifty  to  one  on  my  return.  He  has  bid 
me  be  as  certain  of  it  as  of  my  own  existence ;  but  even 
without  the  weight  of  his  authority  I  was  already  quite 
convinced  of  it.  Only  think  that  at  Tramore,  which  gave 
Barren  only  three  votes,  I  have  no  less  than  thirty-two, 
that  is,  every  vote.  Duckett,  Manners,  Eonayne,  Carberry 
•of  this  town,  &c.  &c.,  are  in  my  train.  All  the  seculars 
•have  joined  me  except  Power  O'Shea,  and  his  second  votes 
are  tolerably  secure. 

I  have  got  decided  and  most  friendly  support  from 
Power  of  Faithlegg,  and  all  his  friends.  Tell  Charles 
O'Connell  I  make  it  a  point  that  he  will  not  oppose  O'Gorman 
Mahon,  and  that  I  beg  of  all  my  friends  not  to  oppose 
him.  If  I  could  combat  directly  for  O'Gorman  Mahon,  I 
certainly  would  do  so,  I  have  been  so  well  treated  here  by 
his  friends.  You  may  use  this  fact  for  him  as  you  please. 
Ever,  my  dear  Purcell,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Brother,  afterwards  Sir  James  O'Connell,  Bart. 

August,  1830. 

My  dearest  James, — This  will  be  handed  to  you  by  my 
very  kind  and  particular  friend  Mr.  P.  V.  FitzPatrick.     He 

6  The  members  returned  for  the  7  The  Duke  of  Devonshire, 

county  Waterf ord  in  1830  were  Lord  8  The  family  of  the  Marquis  of 

George  Beresford  and  Daniel  O'Con-  Waterford. 
nell. 


1830  THE  LIBERATORS  BROTHER  211 

is  the  eldest  son  of  the  late  Mr.  Hugh  FitzPatrick.  He  has 
been  one  of  the  most  useful,  if  not  the  most  perseveringly 
useful,  of  the  managers  of  '  the  Fund.'  All  the  articles  in 
the  Post  on  that  subject  have  been  written  by  him.  I  can- 
not describe  to  you  how  grateful  I  am  to  him.  He  is  now 
going  to  the  South  of  Ireland.  I  recommend  him  to  you 
in  the  strongest  terms.  Invite  him  to  your  house  whilst 
he  remains  in  Kerry.  Shew  this  letter  to  John,9  and  take 
care  to  forward  him  throughout  the  kingdom  of  Kerry. 

I  leave  this  letter  open  that  he  may  show  it  in  Cork  to 
our  friend  Charles  Sugrue,  Tom  Fitzgerald,  &c.  &c. 
Your  most  affectionate  Brother, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

(Confidential.)  Darrynane  Abbey :  31st  August,  1830. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — The  Elections  are  over — I  may 
say  triumphantly  over.  The  harvest  is  getting  in.  The 
periodical  distress  is  for  the  present  over.  This  is  the  time 
to  do  something  for  the  Fund.  This,  of  course,  is  confiden- 
tial ;  that  is,  it  must  not  be  known  to  come  from  me ;  but  I 
cannot  tell  you  how  delighted  I  was  at  the  development  of 
your  plan  for  Diocesan  Sunday  Collection.  One  Sunday, 
is  it  not,  for  each  Diocese  ?  Now  would  be  the  time  to 
realize  it.  There  should  be  a  communication  with  each 
Bishop,  and  first  with  those  most  friendly.  I  think  in 
Waterford  it  should,  if  possible,  commence.  You  should 
therefore  feel  your  way  there.  Let  us  commence  in  action 

fl  John     O'Connell,     of     Grena,  of  his  persevering  in  his  agitation  of 

brother  of  '  the  Liberator.'     But  it  that  question.     My  opinion  is  firmly 

is  a   curious   fact  that  John  vehe-  fixed   against   the    repeal.     In   my 

mently  opposed  and   denounced  in  judgment,  if  the  Anti-Unionists  were 

private    the  public  policy  pursued  to  succeed,  separation  must  follow, 

by  his   brother  Dan   at  this   time.  or,  what  would  be    almost  as   bad, 

I  find  in  the  archives  of  the  Knight  a    constant    collision    between  the 

of  Kerry  many  letters  from  John  to  Parliaments  of  both  kingdoms,  and, 

this  effect.      The   following,   dated  as   a  matter  of   course,   a    ferment 

'  Grena,  23rd  November,  1830,'  is  a  would  be  kept  up  in  this  unfortunate 

sample.     He  is   speaking  of  repeal  country  which  would  preclude  any 

of  the  Union  : —  chance  of  employment  for  our  people 

1 1  never  was  so  much  displeased  or  improvement  in  the  country.' 
with  my  brother  as  I  am  on  account 

P  2 


212     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    OH.  vi. 

at  all  events.  Cork  Diocese  is  favorable.  The  Bishop 
would  give  his  aid,  and  has  indeed  already  recommended  it 
to  his  friends.  I  think  it  would  be  well  to  put  forward  the 
idea  that  one  shilling  each  from  one  seventh  of  the  Irish 
Catholics  would  be  one  million  of  shillings,  or  £50,000 ;  more, 
in  fact,  than  could  be  necessary.  See  what  is  to  bef  done. 
Things  of  this  kind  want  only  collectors  of  energy  and 
perseverance.  I  depend  on  you  for  both.  Let  me  hear 
from  you  speedily,  and  assist  me  by  your  advice  as  well  as 
active  co-operation.  I  rely  much,  very  much,  on  you,  and 
will  never  cease  to  be  grateful. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell  had  been  in  the  receipt  of  an  enormous  pro- 
fessional income,  which  he  relinquished  that  all  his  time 
should  be  given  to  Ireland.  Judgeships  were  offered  to  him 
but  declined.  The  cost  of  agitation  was  great,  and  his 
friends  decided  that  an  annual  tribute,  known  as  the 
'  O'Connell  Bent,'  should  be  raised.  Pat  Costello,  a  man 
of  coarse  powers  of  humour,  whose  name  will  sometimes 
appear  in  this  correspondence,  one  day  hailed  FitzPatrick 
with  the  remark :  '  I  say,  Pat,  how  much  do  you  allow 
O'Connell  out  of  the  rint  ?  '  The  cream  of  the  joke  lay  in 
the  irreproachable  character  of  the  man.  It  may  be  added, 
on  the  authority  of  William  Murphy,  one  of  the  earliest 
trustees  of  the  Fund,  that  from  1829  up  to  1834  the  total 
amount  collected  was  £91,800. 

Friends  and  foes  assailed  O'Connell  for  his  acceptance 
of  this  tribute,  and  amongst  the  '  friends  '  was  John,  Earl 
of  Shrewsbury,  the  great  Catholic  champion,  but  the 
usually  caustic  pen  of  Greville  failed  to  join  in  this  adverse 
criticism.  'His  dependence  on  his  country's  bounty,' 
writes  Greville,1  '  in  the  rent  that  was  levied  for  so  many 
years,  was  alike  honourable  to  the  contributors  and  the 
recipient;  it  was  an  income  nobly  given  and  nobly 
earned.' 

The  proclamations  which  appeared  about  this  time 
abridging  the  right  of  public  meeting  and  in  many  instances 
rendering  it  impossible,  caused  to  the  popular  leaders  great 

1  Greville's  Journal  (Victoria),  ii.  386. 


1830  ADVICE  HOW  TO  ACT  213 

perplexity.  Mr.  John  O'Brien,  a  respectable  trader  of 
Dublin,  though  personally  unknown  to  O'Connell,  ventured 
to  ask  his  opinion  and  advice. 

To  Mr.  John  O'Brien. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  20th  Sept.  1830. 

Sir, — Instead  of  your  making  any  apology  for  writing 
to  me  on  the  interesting  subject  of  your  letter,  I  would  wish 
you  to  understand  that  I  consider  it  a  high  compliment  to 
be  consulted  by  any  persons  desirous  of  procuring  redress 
in  a  legal  and  constitutional  manner. 

That  redress  can  be  obtained  by  you  if  you  combine  in 
a  proper  manner  to  attain  it.  Your  questions  shew  that 
you  are  desirous  to  do  so,  and  I  have  great  pleasure  in 
answering  those  questions. 

You  first  ask,  '  The  manner  of  meeting  publickly  and 
legally,  so  as  to  give  full  expression  to  your  feelings.' 

The  law  permits  any  number  of  persons  to  hold  such 
meetings  as  you  describe.  The  only  difficulty  is  to  get  a 
proper  place  to  meet  in.  That  I  must  leave  to  your  discre- 
tion. It  should  be  some  room  or  covered  place,  in  order  to 
take  away  the  pretext  of  considering  your  meetings  dan- 
gerous to  the  public  peace.  There  should  be  no  obligation 
imposed  on  any  person  to  attend,  nor  any  oath,  pledge,  or 
other  engagement  entered  into.  There  should  be  nothing 
secret  or  concealed  in  your  proceedings.  You  should  avow 
all  your  objects,  and  those  objects  should  be  the  procuring 
redress  through  the  channels  of  the  courts  of  Law,  and  of 
the  legislature.  You  should  at  all  times  give  facility  to 
the  magistracy  or  to  persons  deputed  by  them  to  investigate 
all  your  papers,  documents,  &c.  With  these  views  and  pre- 
cautions you  may  meet  at  stated  or  at  uncertain  periods, 
as  you  think  fit.  You  may  elect  a  chairman  or  president, 
secretary  and  committee  of  management. 

It  is  quite  true  that  the  Act  called  '  Wellington's,  or  the 
worse  than  Algerine  Act,'  is  still  in  force,  and  will  continue 
so  until  the  end  of  the  next  Session  of  parliament.  But  I 
advise  you  not  to  be  intimidated  by  that  Statute,  as  it  is  not 


214     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  vi. 

in  force  against  any  meeting  unless  first  proclaimed  by  the 
Lord  Lieut.,  and  although  I  have  as  contemptuous  an 
opinion  as  possible  of  the  present  administration,  still  I  do 
not  think  that  the  Lord  Lieut,  will  again  presume  to  put 
that  act  into  force.  If  he  should  be  so  weak  or  so  wicked 
as  to  do  so,  which  I  do  not  believe,  then  you  must  dis- 
solve the  moment  the  proclamation  issues.  Until  you  are 
proclaimed,  you  violate  no  Law  in  meeting. 

You  secondly  ask,  '  How  you  can  collect  the  necessary 
funds.'  My  advice  to  you  is  just  this.  To  make  your 
funds  consist  of  an  admission  subscription  of,  say,  one  shil- 
ling, the  payment  of  that  shilling  to  constitute  a  man  a 
member,  and  each  individual  to  continue  a  member  as  long 
as  he  contributes  one  halfpenny  a  week.  By  advancing 
two  shillings  each  individual  would  be  a  member  for  half  a 
year,  and  would  then  have  to  pay  but  one  shilling  for  every 
other  half  year.  I  would  strongly  advise  you  not  to  exceed 
the  halfpenny  a  week,  or  at  all  events  not  to  go  beyond  one 
penny  a  week. 

This  money  should  be  collected  by  a  treasurer  to  be 
chosen  by  ballot.  The  names  of  the  subscribers  should  be 
entered  in  a  book  as  they  pay,  and  that  book  should  be 
always  open  to  inspection.  There  should  also  be  a  copy  of 
the  weekly  or  monthly  returns  given  to  each  member. 
When  the  treasurer  collected  the  money  then  a  legal  diffi- 
culty arises  under  the  Statute  already  mentioned — '  The 
Wellington,  or  worse  than  Algerine  Act.'  That  Statute  pro- 
hibits the  raising  money  to  be  at  the  disposal  of  any 
'  society  or  body  of  persons.'  You  should  therefore  give 
your  monies,  until  the  Wellington  law  expires — that  is,  until 
the  end  of  the  next  session  of  parliament — to  the  disposal  of 
some  one  confidential  person.  This  is  a  serious  difficulty, 
but  can  be  got  over  by  finding  some  one  man  of  sufficient 
integrity  and  public  principle,  who  would  be  sure  to  devote 
your  money  according  to  your  intentions.  Fortunately  you 
need  not  go  far  to  find  such  a  person.  I  can  recommend 
to  you  a  man  of  the  highest  and  most  trustworthy  integrity. 
I  mean  my  friend  Mr.  Edward  Dwyer.  You  will  find  him 


1830 


USEFUL   HINTS 


215 


at  the  Parliamentary  Intelligence  Office,  26  Lower  Stephen's 
Street.  I  would  be  answerable  for  him  with  my  existence. 
He  will  lodge  the  money  in  his  own  name  ;  it  must  be  in  a 
bank;  and  give  you  weekly  returns  of  his  receipts  and 
expenditures. 

The  first  step  you  should  take  would  be  to  employ  Mr. 
William  Forde,  a  most  skilful  and  honorable  Attorney 
whose  name  is  probably  known  to  many  of  you.  He  lives 
on  Arran  Quay.  He  has  in  his  office  two  causes  instituted 
by  the  Catholic  Association  to  enforce  the  rights  of  Catholics 
and  Liberal  Protestants  to  their  freedom  of  the  City  of 
Dublin.  These  causes  were  stayed  by  the  granting  of 
Emancipation  and  the  consequent  separation  of  the  Asso- 
ciation. They  could  be  revived  if  Mr.  Dwyer  or  any  other 
individual  possessing  your  confidence  had  it  in  his  power  to 
advance  to  Mr.  Forde  the  necessary  funds  to  carry  on  those 
causes.  The  King's  bench  in  Ireland  is  unfortunately  not 
as  well  informed  on  the  Law  of  this  subject  as  could  be 
wished,  and  their  refusal  to  decide  the  questions  on  the 
return  to  the  mandamus  applied  for  by  Mr.  Forde  is  no 
great  proof  of  their  legal  acumen ;  but  fortunately  there 
has  been  a  case  since  decided  in  England  that  makes  the 
Law  quite  plain  in  favour  of  enforcing  the  right,  and  if  your 
friends  associate  as  I  have  suggested,  and  collect  funds  in 
the  manner  allowed  by  Law  and  pointed  out  by  me,  you 
will,  I  think,  compleatly  succeed.  You  should  also  at  your 
meetings  prepare  petitions  to  parliament  for  a  redress  of 
the  other  grievances  inflicted  on  the  Citizens  of  Dublin  by 
the  Corporation.  You  should  also  petition  against  such 
other  legal  obstacles  as  exist  to  the  freedom  of  trade  and 
commerce  in  Ireland.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  for  me  to 
remind  you  that  the  poverty  and  misery  of  the  operative 
classes  in  Ireland  is  mainly,  and  I  may  say  exclusively,  to 
be  placed  to  the  fatal  measure  of  the  Union. — I  am,  Sir, 
Your  obedient  Servant, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


216     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  vx. 
To  the  Duke  of  Wellington. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  28th  August,  1830. 

My  Lord  Duke, —  .  .  .  Every  man  of  common  sense 
feels  that  nothing  can  be  more  preposterous  than  the  hours 
which  are  given  to  public  business  by  the  British  House  of 
Commons.  It  is  equally  monstrous  to  imagine  that  business 
could  really  be  done  at  such  hours.  The  House  sat  last 
session  almost  constantly  until  near  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  Nothing  could  be  more  destructive  to  the  health 
of  those  who  desire  to  watch  over  all  the  interests  of  the 
people. 

Consequently  some  of  the  most  honest  men  that  House 
contained  have  declined  a  re-election,  owing  to  their  in- 
ability to  endure  this  perversion  of  time  and  season.  .  .  . 

Besides  the  destruction  of  health  by  the  bad  practice  of 
devoting  the  night  to  that  business  which  should  be  done 
by  day,  there  is  this  more  important  objection  to  the  present 
system,  namely,  that  it  is  calculated  to  make  the  House 
as  much  as  possible  the  mere  registry  of  the  will  of  the 
Minister  for  the  time  being.  It  is  impossible  to  discuss 
with  calm  deliberation  the  measures  that  are  submitted  to 
the  House  at  a  late  period  of  the  night.  It  is  also  im- 
possible to  have  any  adequate  abstract  of  the  proceedings 
appear  before  the  public.  The  present  practice  has  all 
these  vices.  First,  it  tends  to  diminish  the  number  of  men 
of  experience  who  would  belong  to  the  Legislature ;  secondly, 
it  prevents  discussion  and  deliberation  on  matters  the  most 
interesting  in  their  details  to  the  people  at  large ;  and 
thirdly,  it  prevents  the  public  from  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  real  state  of  public  business. 

It  is  true  that  the  great  party  questions  are  debated 
and  reported,  but  the  matters  of  detail,  the  business  whicli 
relates  to  internal  regulation,  affecting  the  public  much 
more  than  the  '  great  questions,'  are  slurred  over  with  the 
most  shameful  negligence,  and  at  length  abandoned  to  that 
worst  of  all  possible  guides,  the  discretion  of  the  Treasury 
Bench. 


1830    LATE  SITTINGS  OF  THE  HOUSE  CONDEMNED     217 

There  is  no  other  public  assembly  in  the  world  which 
holds  its  sittings  at  night.  All  the  business  of  the  world 
is  transacted  in  the  day,  with  the  single  exception  of  British 
legislation.  He  who,  like  me,  has  seen  the  workings  of  this 
system,  must  feel  disgust  at  its  abominations.  I  will  not 
attempt  to  give  details ;  the  deciding  without  hearing  is 
one  of  them.  There  were  in  the  last  Parliament  many 
youthful  and  some  aged  Sybarites,  who  flocked  in  loaded 
with  wine  and  victuals  when  the  division  was  about  to  take 
place,  but  who  attended  to  their  sensual  gratifications  whilst 
the  discussion  was  going  on. 

This  system  should  be  reformed  altogether.  Fortunately 
it  is  in  the  power  of  any  one  member  to  produce  this 
reform.  We  need  not  wait  for  popular  sentiment  to 
awaken  in  England,  where  the  love  of  rational  liberty  has 
either  long  slumbered  or  been  converted  into  uses  for 
private  and  individual  advantage.  We  need  not  wait  for 
aid  from  abroad ;  this  power  of  correction  the  honest  men 
in  the  House  have  in  their  own  hand. 

I  have,  therefore,  pledged  myself  to  the  men  of  Water- 
ford,  who  have  chosen  me  for  their  representative,  to  move 
an  adjournment  at  nine  o'clock  every  night.  This  pledge 
I  will  redeem.  The  Treasury  members  may  defeat  me  on 
each  division  on  the  question  of  adjournment,  but  as  I  am 
bound  to  persevere  in  repeating  the  motion  to  adjourn, 
resistance  will  be  vain,  and  it  will  become  absolutely 
necessary  to  make  new  arrangements. 

An  arrangement  consistent  with  common  sense  would 
be  this.  Let  the  Speaker  attend  the  House  at  half  after 
ten,  and,  prayers  being  said,  let  the  chair  be  taken  as  soon 
as  forty  members  appear ;  if  at  eleven  there  be  not  forty 
members,  let  the  House  stand  adjourned,  but  let  every 
such  adjournment  be  followed  at  the  next  sitting  by  a  call 
of  the  House,  and  a  peremptory  order  of  committal  against 
every  absent  and  unexcused  member.  This  would  secure 
attendance. 

It  may  be  said  that  there  then  would  be  no  provision 
made  for  the  sittings  of  Committees.  That,  too,  could  be 


218    COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    OH.  vi. 

provided  for  without  difficulty.  The  House  at  present  sits 
usually  but  four  days  (or  rather  nights)  in  the  week.  Let 
the  House  in  future  sit  but  three  days — Monday,  Tuesday, 
and  Thursday.  Let  the  Committees  sit  the  other  days, 
and  let  them  sit  at  half  after  nine,  at  latest  at  ten,  in  the 
morning.  Thus  five  times  the  present  quantity  of  business 
could  be  done  by  the  Committees. 

The  regulation  of  '  orders '  and  '  motions  '  may  also  be 
preserved  by  a  slight  change.  Let  there  be  two  order  days 
and  one  motion  day,  and  two  motion  days  and  one  order 
day  in  alternate  weeks. 

The  public  business  may  thus  be  effectually  done — as 
effectually  at  least  as  the  present  machinery  of  representa- 
tion will  permit.  The  gross  absurdity  of  consuming  the 
nights  in  doing  that  which  ought  for  every  reason  to  meet 
the  daylight  will  be  terminated,  and  one  step  will  be  taken  to 
afford  a  radical  remedy  to  a  grievance  which  appears  to  me 
to  savour  of  folly  almost  as  much  as  of  vice. 

My  Lord  Duke,  prepare  in  time  for  this  change.  Let 
the  Session,  if  necessary,  commence  sooner,  let  it  last 
longer,  but  let  the  public  business  be  done,  as  all  business 
should  be  done,  at  reasonable  hours,  and  with  the  full 
knowledge  of  those  interested. 

Having  been  the  first  person  to  propose  to  the  British 
legislature  the  mode  of  voting  by  ballot,  the  only  rational  and 
honest  mode  of  voting,  where  undue  influence,  intimidation, 
and  corruption  may  prevail ;  having  had  this  honour,  I  feel 
it  my  duty  to  make  another  effort  in  the  cause  of  common 
sense.  .  .  . 

I  have,  &c.  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

In  1814  Belgium  had  been  placed  under  the  sovereignty 
of  the  House  of  Orange.  After  the  revolution  of  1830  the 
Due  de  Nemours  was  elected  king,  but  Louis  Philippe,  his 
father,  refused  his  consent,  and  Leopold,  Prince  of  Coburg, 
son-in-law  of  George  IV.,  became  sovereign  of  Belgium. 
In  August  1831,  the  King  of  the  Netherlands,  previously 
known  as  the  Prince  of  Orange,  struggled  to  regain  Belgium. 


1830  A  NEW  KING  FOE  BELGIUM  219 

France  sent  30,000  troops  to  help  Leopold.  An  armistice 
was  the  result.  Previous  to  these  events  O'Connell  had  a 
correspondence  with  Mr.  Francis  A.  Walsh,  then  connected 
with  the  press,  but  afterwards  highly  distinguished  as  a 
barrister  and  later  as  Professor  of  Law  in  the  Queen's 
College,  Cork.  Mr.  Walsh  died  in  1852. 

To  Francis  A.  Walsh,  Cork. 

Darrynane  Abbey:  September  llth,  1830. 

My  dear  Sir, —  ...  I  trust  that  the  Belgians  will  fling 
off  the  king  whom  England  and  her  Holy  Alliance  have 
thrust  upon  them.  There  never  yet  was  a  more  atrocious  act 
of  tyranny  than  the  imposing  the  Dutch  King  on  the  people 
of  Belgium.  It  was  as  undisguised  a  piece  of  despotism  as 
was  ever  yet  exhibited  to  the  world.  The  inhabitants  of 
Belgium  were  never  consulted,  neither  were  their  feelings, 
opinions,  nor  interests  regarded.  It  suited  the  caprice  or 
vicious  views  of  the  military  despots,  who,  at  that  fatal 
period,  '  topped  the  universe,'  to  prostrate  the  Belgian  people 
before  the  footstool  of  a  gross  Dutchman,  and  they  did  so. 
Such  is  the  foundation  stone  of  the  allegiance  due  by  the 
Belgians  to  their  late  masters. 

The  King  of  the  Netherlands,  however,  became  a  prime 
favourite  with  the  English  nation.  He  has  been  sustained 
by  the  British  press  in  almost  all  his  acts  of  oppression. 
Why  has  he  acquired  so  much  honour  amongst  the  English  ? 
For  two  reasons.  First,  they,  the  English,  are  the  most  Pro- 
testant priest-ridden  nation  in  the  world;  and  secondly, 
the  Dutch  King  was  a  Protestant,  who  behaved  with  the 
most  consummate  injustice  to  his  Catholic  subjects.  Such 
was  the  source  of  his  popularity  in  England. 

As  a  Catholic,  I  have  long  watched  over  the  conduct  of 
the  Belgians,  admired  their  honest  and  persevering  patriot- 
ism, and  felt  sympathy  in  their  suffering  and  compassion 
for  their  undeserved  fall.  They  were  oppressed  at  home 
and  calumniated  abroad. 

Among  the  instruments  of  this  base  disposition  to 
calumny,  one  of  the  principal  was  that  sad  specimen  of 


220     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  vi. 

dishonest  talent — The  Times.  It  may  be  worth  while, 
though  perhaps  it  is  not,  to  look  into  an  article  in  that 
paper  of  the  4th  of  this  month  in  order  to  refute  it.  That 
article,  however,  admits  that  the  Belgian  deputies  in  the 
Netherlands  parliament  almost  universally  supported  every 
liberal  measure  and  opposed  every  oppressive  law.  It  is  a 
curious  thing  to  see  how  completely  I  am  borne  out  in  my 
often  repeated  assertion,  that  sincere  Catholics  are,  after 
all,  if  not  the  only,  certainly  the  most  persevering  friends 
of  rational  liberty.  The  Belgian  deputies  were  Catholics, 
the  Dutch  deputies  were  Protestants.  The  Catholics  uni- 
formly voted  for  laws  tending  to  freedom  and  opposed 
everything  that  partook  of  slavery.  The  Protestants  did 
directly  the  reverse.  They  were  nearly  equal  in  number. 
The  Catholics  were  unable  to  carry  any  popular  law  with- 
out the  concurrence  of  some  Protestants.  Whenever  they 
could  persuade  a  few  Protestants  to  join  them  the  popular 
cause  triumphed.  When,  on  the  contrary,  the  court  de- 
sired to  enact  a  severe  or  an  unjust  law,  they  had  to 
seduce  or  bribe  a  few  of  the  Catholic  deputies ;  and,  alas  ! 
they  sometimes  succeeded  with  three  or  four — for  it  is 
a  melancholy  truth  that  you  will  find  '  Orange  Papists ' 
elsewhere  besides  in  Ireland.  On  the  whole,  however, 
the  union  between  public  liberty  and  Catholic  conscience 
was  not  only  salutary,  but  as  nearly  complete  as  a  despotic 
government  would  permit.  The  point  on  which  the  King 
behaved  with  the  most  undisguised  oppression  was  that 
which  related  to  the  Church.  He  insisted  upon  a  com- 
plete despotism  in  the  nomination  of  Catholic  Bishops.  The 
clergy  honestly  and  firmly  resisted.  The  consequence 
was,  that  every  diocese  but  one  or  two  was  a  short  time 
ago  vacant,  the  bishops  having  died,  and  no  canonical  suc- 
cessor having  been  appointed.  At  length  a  concordat  was 
arranged  with  the  Pope,  on  terms  highly  derogatory  to  the 
independence  of  the  Church ;  but,  though  the  terms  were 
galling,  and  tending  to  degrade,  yet  they  were  submitted  to 
by  the  Catholics.  The  King,  however,  refused  for  a  long 
time,  and  until  very  lately,  to  give  the  Catholics  the  benefit 


1830  DUTCH  DESPOTISM  221 

of  even  this  bad  bargain.     I  believe  it  has  yet  been  unper- 
formed on  his  part. 

The  next  point  on  which  he  earned  the  heavy  hatred  of 
his  people  was  on  the  subject  of  education.  There  were 
seminaries  in  each  diocese  which  had  been  founded  by  the 
donations  of  individuals.  They  were  private  property,  not 
at  all  endowed  by  the  State,  but  dedicated  by  private  per- 
sons, out  of  their  own  means,  to  religious  and  classical 
education,  under  the  inspection  of  the  Bishop  of  each  see. 
One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  tyrant  Dutchman  was  to  seize 
on  the  properties  of  these  seminaries  and  to  close  the 
schools.  They  were,  in  fact,  free  schools  for  all  the  people 
— children  received  an  almost  gratuitous  education  at  them ; 
and  although  there  was  somewhat  too  much  given  to  the 
study  of  languages,  especially  the  ancient  classics,  still  the 
education  obtained  at  these  seminaries  was  quite  sufficient 
for  commerce  and  for  the  learned  professions.  Theology 
was,  in  particular,  taught  to  all  those  who  intended  to  become 
clergymen.  If  a  Catholic  King  had  thus  seized  on  founda- 
tions for  schools,  instituted  for  the  education  of  Protestant 
clergymen  and  laymen,  how  loudly,  and  indeed  how  justly, 
would  the  English  press  exclaim  against  the  bigoted  in- 
justice of  thus  robbing  Protestants  of  their  property  and 
stifling  Protestant  education  !  But  as  it  is  done  by  a  Pro- 
testant King  to  a  Catholic  people — lo !  and  behold !  the 
honest  English  writers  misrepresent  and  applaud  the  act.2 

I  throw  out  these  facts  to  you,  that  you  may  use  them 
as  you  see  fit.     I  congratulate  Ireland  on  the  talent  nature 
has  bestowed  upon  you,  and  on  the  talent  and  patriotism 
with  which  God,  as  I  hope,  has  inspired  you. 
Believe  me  to  be,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  O'Connell,  when  pursuing  his 
studies  at  Douay,  witnessed  some  horrors  of  the  French 

2   He   was    amused,   about   this  glad  of  it,'  exclaimed  the  landlady ; 

time,    at    the    following     dialogue  '  we   shall   not   hear  of  the  floods 

overheard  at  an  inn  :     '  I  hear  the  doing  so  much  damage  again.' 
Low  Countries  have  risen.'     '  I  am 


222     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CON NELL    CH.  vi. 

Kevolution.3  He  had  been  intended  for  the  priesthood — 
a  denial  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding — and  it  is  said 
in  Iveragh  that  long  after  his  return  he  was  known  to  the 
peasantry  by  the  name  of  '  Father  Dan.' 4  He  felt  acutely 
for  the  martyred  priests  of  France :  the  deeds  of  the  Bevo- 
lution  made  so  deep  an  impression  upon  his  mind,  that,  as 
he  constantly  told  the  Irish  people,  no  boon  was  worth  the 
purchase  of  one  drop  of  blood.  But  there  was  another 
French  revolution  which,  in  the  following  letter  to  his  son- 
in-law,  he  hails  with  very  different  feelings  :— 


O'Connell  to  his  Son-in-Laiv.5 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  llth  September,  1830. 

My  dear  Fitz Simon, — The  French  revolution  is,  in  all 
its  aspects,  consolatory,  and  deserving  of  the  highest  praise. 
The  people  were  in  everything  right,  the  Government  in 
everything  wrong ;  and,  as  an  atonement  to  human  nature 
for  so  many  successful  crimes,  patriotism  was  in  this  in- 
stance victorious,  and  tyranny  was  completely  overthrown. 

There  is  one  feature  in  this  great  and  satisfactory 
change  which  I  hail  with  the  most  profound  conviction  of 
its  utility — the  complete  severance  of  the  Church  from  the 
State.  Infidelity,  which  is  more  persecuting  in  its  nature 
than  the  most  intolerant  of  the  unhappy  sects  that  have 
rent  the  seamless  garment  of  Christ — infidelity,  which  has 
deluged  France  with  the  blood  of  the  Catholic  Clergy,  was 
losing  ground  by  degrees  since  the  concordat  obtained  by 
Napoleon;  but  the  progress  of  Christian  truth  and  of 
genuine  piety  was  much  impeded  since  the  return  of  the 
Bourbons  by  the  unhallowed  commixture  of  zeal  for  religion 
with  servile  attachment  to  the  Bourbons.  'La  religion  et  le 
Roi '  were  put  in  juxtaposition,  and  the  latter  seemed  as 
much  an  object  of  worship  as  the  former,  but  only  seemed, 
for  the  Catholic  clergy  of  France  have  been  basely  and 

3  Page  1,  ante.  5  Christopher  Fitz  Simon,   Esq., 

4  John  O 'Donovan,  LL.D.,  when  B.L.,  afterwards  Clerk  of  the  Crown 
prosecuting,  in  1836,  his   inquiries  and  Hanaper.   It  will  be  remembered 
on  the  Ordnance  Survey  of  Ireland,  that    he  married   '  Nell,'  a  highly 
learned  this  fact,  as  he  assured  me.  gifted  daughter  of  Mr.  O'Connell. 


1830  THE  FRENCH  BEVOLUTION  223 

atrociously  calumniated  by  many,  and,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
by  none  more  than  by  Brougham,  when  he  called  them 
bigoted  and  besotted.  They  were  not,  and  are  not,  either 
the  one  or  the  other.  The  charge  is  false,  and,  indeed,  in 
every  respect  unbecoming.  No,  the  Catholic  Clergy  of 
France  are  learned,  pious,  exemplary,  and  most  charitable 
and  zealous.  But  they  were  placed  in  '  a  false  position.' 
The  events  of  the  first  revolution,  written  in  characters 
of  blood,  convinced  them  that  the  safety  of  religion  was 
connected  with  the  security  of  the  throne.  When  one 
reflects  on  the  almost  countless  massacres  which,  in  the 
first  revolution,  were  perpetrated  on  the  Catholic  clergy — 
for  the  clergy  of  every  other  persuasion  were  spared  and 
protected ;  when  one  recollects  that  the  first  revolution 
abolished  even  the  forms  of  Christianity,  declared  that 
death  was  an  eternal  sleep,  and  struck  out  Sunday — the 
day  dedicated  by  God  to  His  own  service — from  the  calendar ; 
when  a  man  recalls  these  facts,  and  reflects  on  this,  that 
the  Liberals  of  the  present  day  appear  to  have  inherited 
from  the  Jacobins  of  1792  all  their  hatred  of  the  Christian 
religion,  it  will  not  appear  strange  that  the  Catholic  clergy 
of  France  should  have  fallen  into  the  error  of  believing  that 
religion  was  wedded  to  loyalty.  The  consequences,  how- 
ever, of  this  error  were  most  deplorable.  The  Bourbons 
were  a  foolish  race  of  despots,  and  every  crime  they  com- 
mitted was  attributed  to  religion.  Eeligion  being  thus 
enlisted  as  an  ally  of  the  Bourbons,  shared  in  the  hatred 
which  the  acts  of  the  Bourbons  engendered.  Almost  all 
the  patriots  were  anti-religionists,  if  not  infidels.  All  the 
courtiers  pretended  to  devotion,  or,  at  least,  the  far  greater 
part  of  them,  and  it  was  suspected  that  many  affected  more 
piety  than  they  felt. 

Eeligion  was  thus  placed  in  a  false  position.  Catholicity 
in  France  was  situate  somewhat  as  Protestantism  has  been, 
and  to  a  certain  extent  still  is,  in  Ireland.  It  was  con- 
sidered to  be  the  enemy  of  the  people  and  of  liberty. 

I  heartily  rejoice  that  the  last  revolution  has  altered  the 
position.  Eeligion,  left  to  its  own  intrinsic  merits,  may 


224     COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  vi. 

sustain  some  slights,  and  will  certainly  be  exposed  to  many 
calumnies ;  but  those  merits  and  the  heavenly  beauty  of 
its  precepts  and  practices  will  be  likely  to  win  their  way 
with  more  facility  now  that  they  cannot  be  ranged  with  any 
hostile  party.  The  learned,  pious,  and  zealous  Clergy  of 
France,  no  longer  visited  by  the  hatred  for  civil  oppressions, 
will,  I  trust  in  God,  be  able  to  make  more  real  converts, 
will  be  surrounded  certainly  with  a  smaller  number  of 
hypocrites,  and,  I  hope,  with  a  much  greater  concourse  of 
sincere  Christians — Christians  not  merely  in  word,  but  of 
inward  and  thorough  conviction,  and  of  a  piety  which  will 
certainly  be  unaffected,  and,  I  trust,  will  be  consolatory  and 
exemplary.  Eeligion  has  regained  its  natural  station,  and 
cannot  fail  to  fructify  under  the  hands  of  the  holy  and  able 
men  who  are  its  guides  and  pastors. 

Always  most  affectionately  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

During  the  absence  from  Ireland  at  this  time  of  the  Duke 
of  Northumberland,  the  Viceroy,  a  manifesto  appeared, 
signed  by  the  Chief  Secretary  for  Ireland,  Sir  Henry  (after- 
wards Lord)  Hardinge,  and  forbidding  O'Connell's  Anti- 
Union  Association  or  Society  for  Legislative  Relief .  The  great 
Agitator,  in  a  speech,  declared  that  his  blood  boiled  to  see 
an  English  scribe  dare,  in  the  face  of  Heaven,  to  trample 
down  the  people  of  Ireland  with  his  iron  heel.  '  I  arraign 
that  paltry,  contemptible  little  English  soldier,  who  had 
the  audacity  to  put  his  pitiful  and  contemptible  name  to  an 
atrocious  Polignac6  proclamation,  and  that  too  in  Ireland — 
in  my  country — in  this  green  land — the  land  of  Brownlow 
— the  country  of  Grattan ;  the  land  of  Charlemont,  and  of 
the  70,000  Volunteers — the  heroes  of  the  immortal  period 
of  '82.  In  that  country  it  is  that  a  hireling  scribe  (a  chance 
child  of  fortune  and  of  war) ,  urged  on  by  his  paltry  lawyer- 
ings,  put  his  vile  name  to  this  paltry  proclamation,  putting 
down  freemen.  I  would  rather  be  a  dog  and  bay  the  moon 
than  the  Irishman  who  would  tamely  submit  to  so  infamous 
a  proclamation.  I  have  not  opposed  it  hitherto,  because 
that  would  implicate  the  people,  and  give  our  enemies — the 

6  Prince  Jules  de  Polignac,  the      manifestoes  produced  the  revolution 
Prime  Minister  of  Charles  X.,  whose       of  1830.    Died  1847. 


1830 


LORD  HARD  INGE 


225 


English  Major-General  and  his  lawyering  staff — a  triumph. 
I  trust  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  reason  shall  be 
heard,  and  when  fine  and  imprisonment  shall  mark  the  foul 
conduct  of  Secretary  Major-General  Sir  H.  Hardinge.  He 
usurped  the  prerogative  of  the  Lord-Lieutenant  alone, 
greater,  I  admit,  than  any  that  the  King  is  invested  with  ; 
and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  stating  that  for  this  he  is 
indictable  at  law  !  ' 

Sir  Henry  Hardinge,  stung  by  these  expressions,  wrote 
to  ascertain,  first,  whether  O'Connell  avowed  them;  and 
next,  whether  he  was  disposed  to  maintain  them — in  which 
case  he  should  afford  the  Chief  Secretary  satisfaction  in 
mortal  combat.7 

O'Connell  wrote  the  following  note  :— 

Mr.  O'Connell  does  not  feel  himself  called  on  either  to 
avow  or  disavow  anything  attributed  to  him  by  the  public 
papers.  At  the  same  time,  that  if  any  allegation  of  fact  be 
pointed  out  to  him — attributed  to  him — which  is  not  true, 
he  will  readily  either  disavow  the  assertion,  if  untruly 
attributed,  or  contradict,  and  atone  in  every  way  possible 
for  the  allegation,  if  he  made  use  of  it. 

No  man  living  is  more   ready  than  Mr.  O'Connell  to 


7  O'Connell  must  have  known 
that  Hardinge  was  thin-skinned,  and 
he  probably  calculated  that,  if  pro- 
voked into  a  challenge,  a  success 
would  be  scored  against  the  Irish 
Government.  Sir  H.  Hardinge  was 
an  old  hand  at  the  duello.  In  1824 
he  was  involved  in  an  affair  with 
Lord  Londonderry.  When,  on  the 
fall  of  Napoleon,  the  Allies  entered 
Paris,  Hardinge  was  amongst 
the  British  officers  who  were  sta- 
tioned in  the  capital.  One  even- 
ing, while  conducting  some  ladies 
home  from  the  theatre,  he  was  in- 
sulted by  a  Prussian  officer ;  he  did 
not  take  any  notice  of  the  circum- 
stance, but  next  day  ascertained  his 
name,  and  found  that  he  was  a  sub- 
altern. He  therefore  wrote  a  chal- 
lenge to  the  commanding  officer  of 
the  corps,  stating  the  insult,  which 
was  rather  national  than  personal, 
and  demanding  satisfaction  ;  adding, 

VOL.  I. 


that  he  had  addressed  him  as  an 
officer  of  equal  rank,  but  should 
afterwards  call  on  every  officer 
in  the  corps,  until  he  descended 
to  the  person  that  had  insulted 
him.  The  commanding  officer, 
struck  with  astonishment  at  such 
seeming  temerity,  applied  to  the 
General  of  the  Division,  who,  equally 
surprised,  requested  an  audience  of 
Sir  Henry,  and,  feeling  the  respect 
due  to  a  brave  officer,  compelled 
his  offending  subaltern  to  make  a 
public  apology  to  Hardinge  before 
the  assembled  regiment.  O'Connell 
was  much  blamed  for  seeking  to  dis- 
parage Hardinge  as  a  soldier;  but 
it  may,  perhaps,  be  added,  on  the 
authority  of  Greville's  Journal 
(Vic.),  vol.  iii.  p.  214,  that  '  the  Duke 
[of  Wellington]  does  not  think  very 
highly  of  Hardinge's  military 
talents.' 


226     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CON  NELL    CH.  vi. 

disavow  and  atone  for  any  error  in  point  of  fact,  which  he 
may  have  fallen  into. 

Mr.  O'Connell  will  not  receive  any  kind  of  communica- 
tion with  reference  to  such  a  mode  of  proceeding,  be  the 
consequences  of  such  disclaimer  what  they  may  ;  repeating 
his  readiness  to  retract  and  atone  for  any  fact  alleged  by 
him  not  founded  in  proof. 

He  spoke  of  Sir  Henry  Hardinge  in  his  public  capacity, 
as  an  instrument  of  despotism.  He  did  not  say  one  word 
of  him  in  his  private  capacity. 

As  a  public  man,  he  did  speak  of  Sir  Henry  as  he  would 
of  any  other  man  who  trampled  on  the  liberties  of  Irishmen, 
and  he  must  say,  that  fighting  a  duel  woulc  •  be  a  bad  way 
to  prove  that  Sir  Henry  was  right  or  Mr.  O'Connell  wrong. 

Colonel  D'Aguilar  waited  on  O'Connell,  but  succeeded 
in  making  him  repudiate  only  the  words  '  hireling  scribe  ' 
and  '  a  chance  child  of  fortune  and  of  war.' 

Eichard  Barrett,  to  whom  many  characteristic  letters 
will  be  found  addressed,  was  now  editor  of  the  Pilot,  a  fully 
accredited  organ  of  O'Connell's  policy. 

The  late  John  Quinlan  informed  me  that  O'Connell's  first 
acquaintance  with  Barrett  was  formed  at  what  professed  to 
be  a  charity  dinner,  but  which  was  really  a  political  reunion. 
Barrett  at  this  time  was  attached  to  the  Conservative  press. 
However,  in  a  post-prandial  speech  the  genial  expression 
fell  from  him  that  while  Wilberforce  was  earning  the  thanks 
of  philanthropists  for  his  efforts  to  liberate  black  slaves 
abroad,  O'Connell  had  earned  lasting  gratitude  for  his 
exertions  on  behalf  of  white  ones  at  home.  The  pressman 
and  Tribune  soon  came  to  know  each  other  well,  and 
Barrett  being  a  Protestant,  O'Connell  was  specially  glad 
to  secure  him  as  confidential  colleague  in  political  work. 
He  brought  prestige  with  him  too.  Barrett's  family  were 
not  unknown  to  fame;  his  brother,  Eaton  Stannard,  who 
died  in  1820,  had  won  literary  distinction,  and  the  earlier 
volumes  of  Notes  and  Queries  show  the  interest  which 
attached  to  his  name. 


1830 


227 


To  Michael  Stawnton.* 

Killarney  :  11  October,  1830. 

My  dear  Staunton, — I  got  your  very  interesting  letter  ; 
with  much  of  it  I  agree.  The  Union  should  now  be  agitated 
in  every  possible  shape — in  all  those  so  well  and  wisely 
suggested  by  you — but  not  to  the  exclusion  of  the  formation 
of  a  permanent  society.  A  permanent  society  is  absolutely 
necessary  in  order  to  collect  funds  in  primo  loco,  to  collect 
funds  in  secundo  loco,  and  to  collect  funds,  thirdly  and  lastly, 
because  we  have  both  mind  and  body  within  us,  and  all  we 
want  is  the  means  of  keeping  the  machine  in  regular  and 
supple  motion.  Corruption  was  said  by  Burke  to  be  the  oil 
that  makes  the  wheels  of  Government  go.  Money  is  as 
necessary  to  keep  in  due  operation  the  springs  of  popular  ex- 
citement. In  this,  Mad  Lawless9  was  most  wicked  in  resist- 
ing the  shilling  admission  to  the  last  aggregate.  He  only 
looked  to  a  popular  splash ;  but  when  you  do  not  and  can- 
not compel  men  to  pay,  giving  them  the  choice  to  contribute 
or  stay  away  is  no  hardship. 

I  left  my  mountains  on  Thursday ;  attended  in  Killarney 
that  day  the  best  public  dinner  I  ever  was  at.  On  Friday 
we  got  up  a  most  numerous  meeting,  in  honor  of  the  French 
and  Belgic  revolutions,  in  the  court  house  of  Tralee,  and 
passed  many  honest  resolves.  On  Saturday  another  meeting 
in  the  same  court  house,  and  resolutions  in  favour  of  peti- 
tions against  the  Subletting  and  Vestry  Bills,  for  radical 
reform,  and  the  Eepeal  of  the  Union.  To-day  I  attend  a 
dinner  to  Leader  at  Kanturk ;  to-morrow  I  get  a  public 


8  See  letters  dated  June  9,  1815, 
and  July  8, 1830.  Mr.  Staunton  was 
now  owner  of  a  popular  newspaper 
— the  Register — to  which  frequent 
reference  will  be  made  in  these 
letters.  A  writer  in  the  West- 
minster Review,  alluding  to  the 
Morning  Register,  says  :  '  This 
journal  was  instituted  in  October, 
1824,  by  Mr.  Staunton.  At  this 
period  the  Catholic  body,  rising 
hourly  in  energy  and  political  im- 
portance, called  loudly  for  a  public 


journal  with  literary  capabilities  to 
represent  their  wants  and  to  describe 
their  proceedings.  As  an  induce- 
ment to  Mr.  Staunton  to  proceed 
with  the  undertaking  on  a  large  and 
splendid  scale,  a  number  of  gentle- 
men proposed  to  raise  a  respectable 
sum  in  shares  to  be  repaid  after  a 
certain  period  by  the  proprietor. 
The  paper  was  then  started.' 

9  Sometimes  styled  '  Honest  Jack 
Lawless.'  This  able,  impulsive,  and 
at  times  indiscreet  man  died  in  1837. 

Q  2 


228     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CONN 'ELL    CH.  vi. 

dinner  in  Cork ;  on  Wednesday,  a  meeting  for  redress  of 
grievances  in  Youghal;  on  Thursday,  a  public  dinner  in 
Waterford ;  on  Friday,  a  meeting  in  Waterford  for  redress 
of  grievances.  So  that  you  see  I  am  not  idle. 

Always  yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

P.S. — The  Lord  Lieutenant J  arrived  at  Lord  Kenmare's 2 
late  on  Saturday  night.  He  attended  yesterday  at  Church 
and  returned  on  foot ;  there  was  an  enormous  crowd  in  the 
streets,  who  drew  up  with  great  regularity  and  made  a  lane 
for  the  Duke,  but  in  solemn  silence.  He  made  a  violent 
effort  to  obtain  a  cheer ;  for  finding  it  was  not  spontaneous 
he  took  off  his  hat  and  made  a  graceful  bow  to  the  people. 
There  was  not  the  least  reply.  Capt.  Herbert,  E.N.,  the 
Sheriff  of  last  year,  who  is  deservedly  popular,  then  took 
off  his  hat  an  saluted  the  people.  He  imagined  that  he 
could  get  a  cheer  which  might  be  attributed  to  the  Lord 
Lieutenant ;  but  no,  the  people  returned  his  salute  by  taking 
off  their  hats,  but  preserved  their  silence. 

AGITATE  !     AGITATE  !     AGITATE  ! 

Agitation  did  its  work.  Lord  Cloncurry,  addressing 
Staunton  on  October  9,  1830,  from  'Beaudesert,  Lichfield,' 
where  he  was  the  guest  of  Lord  Anglesey,  mentions  a  rather 
remarkable  fact.  '  I  do  not  despair  of  some  good  being 
done  for  Ireland  even  this  next  Session.  I  have  met  some 
of  the  working  men  much  in  the  Duke's 3  confidence,  and 
the  subject  even  of  a  modification  of  the  Union  has  been 
discussed  by  Ministers.' 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

14  Manchester  Buildings,  Westminster  :  30th  Octr.  1830. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — These  are  times  when  it  is  hard 
for  a  man  to  find  sincere  and  practical  friends.  In  you  I 

1  The  Duke  of  Northumberland  23,  1830. 
succeeded  to  the  Viceroyalty,  on  the  2  Killarney  House, 

recall  of  Lord  Anglesey,  March  6,  3  The  Duke  of  Wellington,  then 

1829,  and  held  office  until  Anglesey  Prime  Minister, 
returned  to  displace  him,  December 


1830  THE  LEINSTER  DECLARATION  229 

have  one,  and  I  repeat  that  I  hope  that  I  will  not  die  until 
I  have  some  opportunity  of  shewing  you  how  sincerely 
grateful  I  am. 

I  see  that  Mahony  and  Con  way  have  brought  that  most 
miserable  of  miserable  Dukes  into  play.4  But  before  now 
the  scene  is  over.  My  letters  deceive  me,  or  there  will  be 
nothing  mischievous  adduced  by  the  attempt.  God  help 
their  precious  skulls  !  Why,  England  is  in  a  worse  state 
than  Ireland  ever  was  since  the  fatal  year  of  1798. 

To  Edward  Dwyer.5 

London  :  Nov.  9th,  1830. 

.  .  .  The  times  are  exceedingly  critical ;  this  is  just  the 
period  when  good,  wise,  and  considerate  men  should  urge 
their  claims  for  amelioration. 

This  is  emphatically  the  moment  to  get  as  many  places 
as  possible  to  petition  for  the  Eepeal  of  the  Union. 

The  successors  of  the  Wellington  administration,  who- 
ever they  shall  be,  will  not  be  able  to  resist  the  cry  of 
the  people  if  really  raised.  We  shall  see  a  daily  progress 
towards  the  principle  of  democratic  liberty.  It  is  most 
important  that  those  successors  should  be  convinced  that 
the  Eepeal  of  the  Union  is  desired  by  all  the  people  of  Ireland, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  paltry  jobbers. 

Tell  this  to  every  person  who  comes  to  the  rooms.  Let 
every  man  know  from  me  that  it  is  my  decided  opinion  that 
we  may  have  an  Irish  Parliament  soon,  if  the  voice  of  the 
Irish  nation  shall  be  expressed  by  petitions  so  numerous  as 
to  place  beyond  any  doubt  the  anxiety  of  Ireland  for  that 
measure. 

I  do  not  say  this  lightly.  I  am  convinced  that  what  I 
say  to  you  is  of  great  importance  to  be  attended  to,  and 
yet  we  are  an  uncertain  race.  Before  Emancipation  I  saw 

4  The      Leinster       Declaration  Pierce  Mahony.     The  Duke  of  Lein- 

against    Eepeal   of  the   Union    ap-  ster  led  the  van  of  names, 
peared  in    Conway's   Post  at   this  5  Secretary  to    the    democratic 

time,  and  is  known   to  have  been  meetings  at  Burgh  Quay  in  Dublin, 
mainly    inspired    and    framed    by 


230     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CONN  ELL    CH.  vi. 


that  it  would  be  necessary  for  us  to  have  a  rallying  point 
for  future  struggles  of  the  country.  I  was,  therefore,  very 
anxious  to  get  a  place  for  public  meetings.  The  theatre 
in  Great  Brunswick  Street  was  to  be  had  very  cheaply,  but 

and  others  disliked  the  owner,  and  I  was  overruled. 

Those  who  overruled  me  all  promised  to  find  another  and 
a  better  place ;  they  all  saw  the  necessity  of  having  a  place 
for  public  meetings.  We  had  funds  then,  but  not  a  step 
was  taken  by  anybody  but  me  to  get  that  other  place.  I 
failed  entirely. 

In  fact,  that  theatre  would  now  be  quite  a  treasure  for 
all  kinds  of  useful  agitation.  At  present  the  want  of  such  a 
thing  is  severely  felt,  and  each  day  it  will  be  more  and  more 
so.  Its  utility  would  be  constant. 

Every  parish  in  Dublin  would  certainly  meet  if  they 
could  but  be  certain  of  having  the  use  of  a  proper  meeting 
place.  It  is  quite  clear  that  the  store  in  Stephen  Street  is 
suited,  admirably  suited,  for  the  purpose ;  and  now  there  is 
a  fastidiousness  about  the  street  as  not  being  fashionable 
enough,  although  it  is  within  four  or  five  minutes'  walk  of 
either  Stephen's  Green,  College  Green,  or  Dame  Street. 
Where  will  those  who  reject  that  spot  find  another  ? 

I  am  perfectly  content  to  become  tenant  at  once  of  any 
other  provided  it  shall  be  found ;  but  it  would  disgust  any 
other  man,  save  myself,  from  politics  to  find  a  practical 
measure  of  this  sort  abandoned,  or  postponed  first  and  then 
abandoned,  upon  the  score  of  a  paltry  fastidiousness  respect- 
ing the  situation  of  the  place  of  meeting. 

Is  there  any  man  who  does  not  know  that,  but  for  getting 
the  constant  use  of  Clarendon  Street  Chapel,  we  never  could 
have  got  up  the  Catholic  Association  ?  We  cannot  have 
chapels  now.6  Why  then  should  we  not  have  a  perpetual 
substitute  ? 

I  implore  of  all  real  anti-unionists  to  consider  well  of 
this,  and  to  lay  their  best  thoughts  together  to  procure  a 


6  To  free  religion  from  penal 
bonds  was  esteemed  a  duty  which 
might  be  performed  in  the  house 
where  bondsmen  worshipped ;  but 


when  Emancipation  was  conceded, 
Rome  issued  a  Eescript  prohibiting 
the  use  of  churches  for  political 
meetings. 


1830          THE   WELLINGTON   CABINET   TOT  TEES         231 

comfortable  and  extensive  place  for  public  meetings.     We 
cannot  do  without  one. 

Having  thus  vented  my  spleen,  I  come  to  the  politics  of 

the  day. 

Everybody  says  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington  must 
resign ;  he  will,  however,  cling  to  the  office  as  long  as  he 
possibly  can,  and  I  am  convinced  nothing  will  induce  Peel 
to  quit  his  secretaryship  but  absolute  necessity.  Yet  every- 
body insists  that  he  must  resign.  I  myself  cannot  see 
how  it  is  possible  for  them  to  go  on. 

Now  every  change  must  be  favourable.  The  new  men 
are  of  necessity  weak.  It  is  calculated  that  the  leaders  of 
a  new  Cabinet  will  be  Lords  Grey  and  Lansdowne ;  as  yet, 
however,  I  fancy  that  the  resignation  of  Wellington  has  not 
been  actually  sent  in. 

Since  I  began  this  paragraph,  however,  I  hear  that  the 
Marquis  of  Lansdowne  is  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  incomers. 
Nous  verrons.  The  riot  last  night  was  a  mere  tumult,  easily 
put  down  by  the  police,  though  they  are  not  armed ;  yet 
certainly  the  King's  shrinking  from  going  into  the  City  is 
calculated  to  encourage  the  tumultuous  in  the  interior  parts 
of  England. 

There  never  was  a  more  critical  or  important  period,  or 
one  in  which  an  extensive  demand  for  the  Eepeal  of  the 
Union  would  have  a  better  effect.  I  am  now  anxious  to 
remain  in  Parliament ;  I  think  some  good  may  be  done  in 
the  House,  or  rather  through  the  House.  I  am  determined 
to  stick  to  it  as  long  as  I  can. 

Nov.  6th,  1830. 

You  cannot  conceive  what  a  change  has  occurred  already 
in  the  public  mind  here  on  the  subject  of  the  Eepeal  of  the 
Union.  It  is  not  only  practicable,  but  certain,  if  we  persevere 
as  we  ought  to  do. 

I  intend  to-morrow  to  write  a  letter  on  the  subject  of  the 
expense  of  petitions.  Get  it  printed.  You  know  that  I  do 
not  wish  my  letters  to  you  to  be  printed. 

As  soon  as  I  have  any  news  to  communicate  you  shall 


232     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CONN  ELL    CH.  vi. 

again  hear  from  me,  but  at  present  I  am  all  anxiety  to  hear 
from  Ireland. 

If  the  people  will  keep  quiet  and  allow  me  to  regulate,  I 
think  I  am  certain  of  procuring  the  Eepeal  of  the  Union. 
This  may  be  called  vanity.  Well,  I  am  -vain;  I  thought 
before  I  left  Ireland  that  I  was  the  best  abused  man  in 
the  world,  but  I  now  perceive  that  I  have  not  received  half 
the  wages  which  are  due  to  me  for  being  the  faithful  and 
persevering  friend  of  the  people. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell  had  but  to  make  a  suggestion  in  any  quarter 
not  absolutely  hostile  to  ensure  its  cordial  reception,  and 
when  he  dropped  an  idea  on  the  impressionable  mind  of 
Primate  Curtis  it  generally  struck  root. 

The  National  system  of  education  had  not  as  yet  been 
unfolded.  Latterly  the  Prelates,  viewing  the  schools  of  the 
endowed  Kildare  Place  Society  as  engines  of  proselytism,  had 
refused  to  co-operate  with  them.  The  celebrated  letter  of 
Mr.  Stanley,  afterwards  Earl  of  Derby,  inaugurating  the 
system  of  National  Education,  is  dated  October  31,  1831. 
The  Whig  Cabinet  of  Earl  Grey  had  now  succeeded  to 
power. 

To  Primate  Curtis. 

London :  Novr.  26th,  1830. 

My  Lord, — I  have  had  reason  to  think,  given  me  by 
some  who  possess  influence  with  the  new  administration, 
that  there  is  a  desire  amongst  a  portion  of  the  new  members 
to  divide  the  Kildare  Place  grant  equitably  between  the 
Catholics  and  Protestants.  I  have  also  reason  to  believe 
that  this  object  would  be  advanced  if  the  Catholic  Clergy, 
and  especially  the  dignitaries  of  the  Catholic  Church  in 
Ireland,  were  without  delay  to  petition  on  this  subject ;  that 
is,  that  on  any  future  education  grant  of  money  care  should 
be  taken  to  apportion  an  adequate  part  to  the  education  of 
Catholic  children. 

Petitions  also  from  the  laity  would  be  useful  for  this 
purpose. 


1830  ALARMING   OUTLOOK  233 

Should  your  Grace  concur,  I  beg  to  suggest  that  those 
petitions  should  be  sent  to  independent  members  rather 
than  to  men  in  power,  who,  in  truth,  wish  to  be  driven 
into  the  measure  by  others  rather  than  act  spontaneously. 
Lord  Killeen,  Mr.  Wyse,  Mr.  More  O'Farrell,  &c.,  would 
be  most  proper  persons  to  present  such  petitions.  Of  course 
my  humble  services  can  be  commanded  by  your  Grace. 

I  should  not  trouble  your  Grace  with  this  letter  but  that 
I  have  reason  to  believe  that  a  strong  exertion  would 
secure  the  obtaining  of  this  much  of  fair  play  for  Ireland. 

Lord  Anglesea  goes  to  Ireland  with  the  best  intentions. 
God  grant  he  may  alleviate,  if  he  cannot  cure,  the  national 

miseries.  T ,          » 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Some  persons,  to  whom  the  following  letter  was  shown 
ere  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  its  present  editor,  regarded 
as  in  the  highest  degree  peculiar  the  outlook  which  it 
reveals.  O'Connell  thought,  in  November  1830,  that  Eng- 
land and  her  '  Funds '  were  in  imminent  peril ;  but  it 
appears  that  Wellington,  with  all  his  faith  in  that  great 
power,  and  his  cold  calm  of  temperament,  came  to  view 
things  in  much  the  same  light.  A  letter  of  his,  dated 
January  1,  1831,  and  printed  in  'The  Court  and  Cabinets 
of  William  IV.,'  speaks  of  '  a  sort  of  feverish  anxiety  in 
every  man's  mind  about  public  affairs.  No  man  can  satisfy 
himself  of  the  safety  either  of  this  country  or  himself.' 7 

To  George  Kernan.* 

London  :  27  Novr.  1830. 

My  dear  Kernan, — I  have  settled  the  draft  of  the  will. 
I  have  thought  it  necessary  to  give  the  trustees  the  most 
unlimited  power  to  vest  the  property  in  private  in  contra- 
distinction to  public  securities,  simply  because  the  aspect 
of  the  times  is  such  that  I  begin  to  fear,  or  rather  believe, 
that  public  securities  will  become  of  very  little  value.  I 

7  London,  1861,  vol.  i.  p.  188.  Clerk  of  the  Crown  and  Peace  for 

8  Mr.   Kernan   was   a    solicitor,       Dublin, 
the  father  of  Charles  Kernan,  now 


234     COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  vi. 


should  not  be  surprised  if  coming  events  prevented  the 
payment  of  a  great  part  of  the  interest  of  the  debt  called 
national.  This  being  a  strong  feeling  on  my  mind,  1 
cannot  avoid  giving  a  choice  to  sell  out  to  any  trustees  who 
may  have  public  funds  entrusted  to  them.  There  are  no 
public  news.  The  interior  of  England9  is  in  a  frightful 
situation.  I  really  do  not  know  what  remedy  can  be  applied 
to  stop  the  evil.  The  Irish  appointments  are  not  as  yet 
fixed,  but  I  am  in  great  hope  that  they  will  be  popular.  I 
should  not  be  surprised  if  our  friend  O'Loghlan  was  to  be 
the  Solicitor-General.  I  would  not  have  my  name  men- 
tioned as  circulating  this  rumour,  but  I  think  you  will  be 
glad  to  hear  that  there  is  every  prospect  of  this  appointment 
being  made. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

A  tempest  of  revolution  was  sweeping  across  Europe  at 
this  time.  In  France  the  King  and  Ministry  had  fled. 
On  October  4,  1830,  a  provisional  government  decreed 
Belgium  independent.  Continental  thrones  rocked.  The 
army  of  Brunswick  was  routed  by  the  people.  The  palace 
was  fired  and  its  royal  occupants  put  to  flight.  At  Dresden 
the  King  of  Saxony  resigned  his  crown.  Eevolutions  were 
hourly  expected  at  Lisbon  and  Madrid.  William  IV.  had 
arranged  to  dine  at  the  Guildhall  on  November  9,  but 
the  Ministers  decided  to  keep  him  at  home.  Curious  letters 
on  this  point  appear  in  the  memoirs  of  Sir  William  Knigh- 
ton.  '  If  firing  had  begun,'  said  Wellington,  '  who  could 
tell  where  it  would  end  '?  I  know  what  street-firing  is—- 
one guilty  man  would  fall  and  ten  innocent  be  destroyed.' 

O'Connell's  letter  to  Kernan  was  preceded  by  a  public 
one,  in  which  he  advised  a  run  upon  the  banks  for  gold. 
Many  people  misunderstood  his  startling  utterances  at 
the  time,  and  amongst  them  was  a  man  who  signs  himself, 
in  the  Sirr  Papers,1  '  Anthony  Conwell,  student  of  the 


9  On  January  9,  1831,  sentence 
of  death  was  passed  on  twenty-three 
persons  for  riot  in  Gloucester ;  at 
Norwich  there  were  forty-five  capital 
convictions,  twenty-six  at  Petworth, 
and  hundreds  of  others  elsewhere  in 


England. 

1  Major  Sirr  was  the  Fouch6  of 
Dublin.  The  Sirr  Papers  are  now 
preserved  in  the  MS.  room  of  Trinity 
College,  Dublin. 


1830  A    TEAITOE  IN   THE   CAMP  235 

King's  Inn.'  He  tells  Sirr  that  he  is  on  terms  of  intimacy 
with  O'Connell  and  Costello,  and  proposes  to  inform  on  the 
first,  against  whom,  it  is  added,  he  has  evidence  of  treason. 
On  the  back  of  Conwell's  letter  Mr.  Attorney- General  Black- 
burne  writes  a  '  Mem.'  to  the  effect  that  the  name  and 
address  of  the  spy  ought  to  be  noted  at  Dublin  Castle,  in 
order  that  communication  may  be  opened  with  him  should 
his  assistance  be  required. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

London  :  29th  Novr.  1830. 

I  approve  of  preparing  for  a  procession  to  meet  the 
Marquis  of  Anglesea  on  his  return  to  the  Viceroyalty  of 
Ireland  ;  and  I  should  think  that  it  would  not  be  at  all 
amiss,  but  very  much  the  contrary,  if  Marcus  Costello 2 
were  to  head  the  procession. 

Lord  Anglesea,  however,  does  not  go  over  for  at  least 
another  fortnight  or  three  weeks,  and  there  will  be  time 
enough  to  countermand  the  procession,  should  he  be 
betrayed  into  making  unpopular  appointments  in  Ireland. 

What  I  want  to  find  out  is,  what  is  to  be  done  for 
Ireland  ?  They  say  a  great  deal — but  what  is  it  ?  Let  me 
know  that.  ; 

Such  is  my  question.  As  to  Spring  Eice's  '  nineteen 
Bills,'  they  may  all  be  despatched  in  one  word — fudge  ! 

We  shall  soon  see,  I  again  fear,  that  the  Marquis  of 
Anglesea  is  getting  into  bad  hands.  The  only  good  thing 
about  him  is  his  determination,  which  is  fixed,  to  pack  off 
the  Gregorys 3  etc.  from  the  Castle. 

I  am  sorry  you  had  not  '  Eesolutions  '  at  the  last  break- 
fast. The  Government  certainly  will  not  meddle  with  any 
orderly  public  meeting.  You  know  that  Lord  Anglesea's 
own  letter  to  Mr.  Kertland  is  quite  a  pledge  upon  that 
point ;  and  I  should  have  already  put  on  its  legs  a  new 
association,  but  that  I  wish  to  see  the  new  Government 
actually  under  way,  and  the  Duke  of  Northumberland  out 

2  A   prominent  democrat,  after-  3  Sir  William  Gregory  was  the 

wards  an  Attorney-General.  Under  Secretary. 


236     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CONN  ELL    OH.  vi. 

of  Ireland,  before   we  form  another,  and  arrange  as  to 
funds. 

This  alone  prevents  me  from  at  once  beginning.  But, 
depend  on  it,  I  will  meet  Lord  Anglesea  and  his  new 
Government. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

London  :  Wednesday,  1st  December,  1830. 

My  present  opinion  is  that  it  is  better  to  let  the  Marquis 
of  Anglesea  come  in  quietly  without  any  show  or  proces- 
sion. I  decidedly  think  the  Anti-Unionists  ought  not  to 
give  him  any  glorification.  This  is  the  result  of  my  delibe- 
rate judgment.  Abandon,  then,  all  thoughts  of  our  friends 
joining  in  the  procession,  unless  the  people,  against  my 
advice,  desire  it. 

If  they  do,  let  them  be  gratified  :  but  mix  the  strongest 
Anti- Unionism  with  your  honours. 

The  new  Government  of  Ireland  is  being  organised. 
These  things  are  certain — that  young  Stanley4  goes  to 
Ireland  as  Chief  Secretary,  and  that  Mr.  Dogherty  is  out  of 
office,  and  will  not  get  any  situation  under  the  Government. 
I  have  reason  to  believe  that  Lord  Plunket  will  be  the  new 
Chancellor. 

Depend  upon  it,  that  the  attempt  to  arrest  the  progress 
of  Anti-Unionism  will  be  a  complete  failure,  as  nothing 
solid  or  substantial  for  the  good  of  the  Irish  people  will, 
or  indeed  can,  be  done  by  these  Ministers,  or  any  British 
Ministers. 

I  am  sincerely  sorry  to  hear  that  '  the  patriots '  are 
so  insensible  to  the  necessity  of  having  a  place  of  meeting 
of  their  own.  The  store  at  the  back  of  the  premises 
affords  such  an  opportunity  of  making  an  admirable 
place  of  meeting,  that  I  am  almost  disgusted  at  the  apathy, 
or  small  motives,  which  prevent  its  being  used  for  that 
purpose. 

4  Afterwards  Earl  of  Derby  and  Prime  Minister. 


1830  LORD  ANGLESEY  237 

I  will,  if  I  can  afford  it,  be  myself  at  the  expense  of 
putting  it  into  proper  shape  and  form.  We  can  never  be 
independent  until  we  have  a  place  of  our  own  to  hold  an 
'  aggregate  meeting.'  I  was  thrown  out  of  the  theatre  in 
Brunswick  Street  by  miserable  jealousies. 

Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Lord  Anglesey,  writing  to  Lord  Cloncurry  previous  to 
his  State  entry  into  Dublin,  says  :— 

'  O'Connell  is  my  avant-courrier.  He  starts  to-day  with 
more  mischief  in  hand  than  I  have  yet  seen  him  charged 
with.  I  saw  him  yesterday  for  an  hour  and  a  half.  I  made 
no  impression  upon  him  whatever,  and  I  am  now  thoroughly 
convinced  that  he  is  bent  upon  desperate  agitation.  All 
this  will  produce  no  change  in  my  course  and  conduct.  For 
the  love  of  Ireland  I  deprecate  agitation.  I  know  it  is  the 
only  thing  that  can  prevent  her  from  prospering  ;  for  there 
is  in  this  country  a  growing  spirit  to  take  Ireland  by  the 
hand,  and  a  determination  not  to  neglect  her  and  her 
interests ;  therefore  I  pray  for  peace  and  repose.' 

To  Win.  Newton  Bennett. 

(Strictly  confidential.)  31  December,  1830. 

My  dear  Bennett, —  ....  I  have  great  reliance  on 
your  friendship  as  well  as  your  judgment.  But  it  is  quite 
in  vain  for  you  to  urge  me  to  postpone  the  Union  ques- 
tion .  .  . 

Lord  Anglesea  and  those  by  whom  he  is  surrounded 
know  nothing  of  Ireland.  I  now  tell  you  to  a  certainty  that 
nothing  but  the  effect  of  my  advice  and  influence  keeps  the 
people  from  violent  courses.  They  all  know  that  it  is  my 
decided  conviction  that  they  should  not  have  recourse  to 
force,  and  that  I  will  forsake  them  if  they  resort  to  violence. 
But  for  this  you  would  have  already  a  speedy,  but,  of  course, 
a  sanguinary  revolution. 

Lord  Anglesea  sent  for  me  and  talked  to  me  for  two 
hours,  to  prevail  on  me  to  join  the  Government ;  he  went 
so  far  as  to  discuss  my  private  affairs  in  order  to  prevail 
on  me  to  repair  my  fortunes  ! 


238     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vi. 


Lord  Brougham  conveyed  to  me  in  most  intelligible 
language  that  Dogherty  and  an  Irish  lord  brought  me  an 
untrue  message  from  Lord  Grey.  They  are  not  to  be 
relied  on.  Ever  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  negotiators  were  varied  and  vivacious.  A  letter 
from  O'Connell  to  his  wife  at  this  time,  but  which  has 
been  unfortunately  mislaid  by  its  late  custodian,  the  Eev. 
J.  A.  Nolan,  Kilbride,  goes  on  to  say  that  he  had  had  a 
visit  from  Lady  Glengall,  who  told  him  that  he  would  be 
made  a  judge — '  anything,  in  fact,  if  he  would  give  up  the 
agitation'  '  The  underlined,'  writes  Mr.  Nolan,  '  are  the 
exact  words  of  the  letter.'  O'Connell  adds  that  he  never 
felt  so  much  inclined  to  turn  a  lady  out.5 

O'Connell,  on  December  1,  gleefully  announces  that 
Doherty  was  out  of  office,  and  would  get  no  post  under  the 
new  Government.  His  reappointment  as  Solicitor-General,6 
and  his  elevation  soon  after  as  Chief  Justice  of  the  Common 
Pleas,  provoked  a  popular  outcry.  Although  he  once  per- 
formed the  private  courtesy  of  writing  to  Canning,  at  the 
request  of  O'Connell,  he  latterly  gave  the  Tribune  much 
cause  to  complain,  and  seemed  to  be  his  personal  enemy, 
as  no  doubt  he  was  his  troublesome  opponent.  (Vide  letter 
of  Sept.  24,  1829.) 

'  Things  have  now  come  to  that  pass,'  writes  Lord 
Anglesey  to  his  wife,  '  that  the  question  is  whether  O'Con- 
nell or  I  shall  govern  Ireland.'  Acting  under  the  advice  of 
his  unpopular  Law-officers,  he  now  sought  to  grapple  with 
O'Connell.  Thereupon  an  eminent  King's  Counsel,  named 
Wallace,  addressed  a  note  to  the  latter,  in  which,  while  he 
intimated  his  hostility  to  the  democratic  policy  of  the 
hour,  he  tendered  him  his  professional  assistance  against 


5  Eaikes's  Journal  of  May  1836 
says  that  '  Lady  Glengall  had  a  mas- 
culine mind  and  was  an  excellent 
woman  of  business.  She  had  been 
a  celebrated  beauty  who,  with  Lady 
Clare  and  Lady  Denny,  were  the 
reigning  toasts  in  Dublin  before  the 
Union.'  She  was  then  Lady  Cahir. 
Her  son,  Lord  Glengall,  a  kinsman 
of  the  house  of  Ormonde,  was  an 
influential  politician  and  orator. 


(See  letter  of  March   1,  1831,  and 
sequel.) 

6  This  appointment  was  entirely 
due  to  Lord  Grey,  as  I  am  informed 
by  Mr.  Doherty's  son.  A  peerage 
was  about  to  be  conferred  on  him 
when  he  suddenly  died  of  heart 
disease,  consequent  on  the  loss  of 
all  his  property,  which  he  had 
staked  in  speculation  on  the  Stock 
Exchange. 


1831  TOM  WALLACE  239 

the  prosecution,  and  expressed  an  opinion  that  Lord  Anglesey 
had  violated  both  law  and  constitution  in  the  case. 

To  Thomas  Wallace,  K.C. 

Merrion  Square :  19  January,  1831. 

My  dear  "Wallace, — Permit  me  at  least  this  once  to 
address  you  in  terms  which  I  exceedingly  regret  have  ever 
been  unusual  between  us.  It  shall  not  be  my  fault  if  they 
shall  ever  again  be  altered.  I  accept  with  pride  and 
pleasure  your  manly  and  generous  offer.  I  am  deeply 
grateful  for  it.  I  am  proud  to  have  the  support  of  a  man 
who  during  a  long  and  professional  career,  and  in  times  of 
great  subserviency,  ever  maintained  the  manly  indepen- 
dence of  his  own  character,  and  won  his  way  to  the  highest 
station  in  forensic  business,  without  any  other  means  than 
those  which  liberality  sanctioned,  and  professional  and 
personal  honour  justified  and  dictated,  and  won  that  high 
station  by  the  single  exertion  of  professional  talent  and  in- 
tegrity. I  am  proud  to  have  the  support  of  a  man  whose 
reputation  for  learning  in  the  criminal  law  stands  second 
to  none  in  the  profession. — Believe  me  to  be,  with  heartfelt 
gratitude, 

Respectfully  and  affectionately, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell  in  a  postscript  added  that  the  letter  of  "Wallace 
was  too  valuable  not  to  give  it  publicity.  '  A  friend  of 
mine  has  it  in  his  hand  for  that  purpose.'  Next  day  "Wallace 
wrote  to  say  that,  on  consideration,  he  thought  it  better  not 
to  publish  his  letter ;  he  preferred  that  his  sentiments 
should  appear  only  on  the  trial,  should  the  prosecutor  be 
so  unwise  as  to  proceed. 

To  Thomas  Wallace,  K.C. 

Merrion  Square  :  19th  January,  1831. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  do  not  know  whether  I  was  ever  more 
afflicted  than  I  was  at  the  receipt  of  your  second  letter.  I 
left  a  copy  of  the  first  with  my  friend,  who  awaited  my 


240     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' 'CONN 'ELL    CH.  vi. 

son's  return  from  your  house ;  and  as  the  conversation 
with  you  implied  no  prohibition,  but  left  me  to  act  on  my 
own  sole  responsibility,  without,  of  course,  involving  you, 
he,  in  my  absence,  committed  it  this  evening  to  the  press. 
I  was  absent  at  a  meeting  at  Grangegorman  Lane,  and  the 
moment  I  returned  and  found  your  second  letter  before  me 
I  sent  off  to  stop  the  press,  but  was  a  full  hour  too  late. 
Dictate  to  me  what  I  shall  do  now.  I  will  in  the  news- 
papers take  on  myself  the  publication  of  the  letter  without 
your  knowledge  or  consent ;  I  will  exonerate  you  in  the 
fullest  and  most  satisfactory  manner  from  any  participa- 
tion whatsoever  in  the  publication ;  in  short,  point  out  any- 
thing you  wish,  and  I  will  do  it ;  and  I  implore  you  not 
to  impute  this  to  me  as  a  fault,  which  I  solemnly  aver 
was,  under  the  circumstances,  a  pure  accident.  Intreating 
your  forgiveness,  offering  you  all  and  every  atonement  in 
my  power,  believe  me  always 

Your  devotedly  grateful 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

One  irksome  penalty  which  the  publication  of  Wallace's 
letter  entailed  was  a  statement  made  by  more  than  one 
journalist,  namely,  that  he  wrote  it  in  dudgeon,  because 
Lord  Anglesey  had  not  offered  him  the  Attorney-General- 
ship or  even  a  coif. 


241 


CHAPTEE  VII. 

Excitement  at  white  heat — '  Liberator,  say  the  word ' — Arrest  of  O'Connell 
— Another  Affair  of  Honour — The  Tr aver sers— 300,000  Men  ready  to 
March  on  Dublin — Overtures  from  the  Government — T.  O'Mara — The 
Government  outmanoeuvred — Lord  Duncannon's  Election — Letters  to 
him — Mr.  Blackburne — Mr.  Stanley — Victory  in  the  House — The 
O'Connell  Fund — Bishop  Doyle  again — Major  Sirr — Electioneering 
Plans — Charles  Bianconi — Further  Letters  to  Lord  Duncannon — 
Election  Hows — Press  Prosecutions — Reform — Conference  at  Lord 
Althorp's — Creation  of  New  Peers—  Home  Rule  under  the  British 
Crown — Trades  Unions — Commotion  in  Paris — Reform  Bill — Cessation 
of  Tax-paying — Office  offered  to  O'Connell— Renewed  Correspondence 
with  Lord  Duncannon — Patent  of  Precedence— The  Cholera— James 
Dwyer — <  Times  to  try  Men's  Souls  ' — Massacre  at  Newtownbarry — 
O'Connell  assaulted — Remigius  Sheehan — Resignation  of  Ministers — 
O'Connell  and  The  Times  —  '  The  Thunderer  '  —  Sir  A.  Bradley  King's 
Gratitude — Pat  Costello. 

BETWEEN  O'Connell  and  Lord  Anglesey  a  bitter  warfare  now 
raged.  Both  had  drawn  the  sword,  and  neither  was  dis- 
posed to  be  the  first  to  sheath  it. 

On  January  19,  1831,  excitement  reached  a  white  heat 
when  the  news  was  bruited  that  O'Connell  had  been  arrested 
in  his  own  house.  Mr.  John  O'Connell,  describing  the 
arrest,  designates  as  '  bludgeon-men '  the  officers  who  ap- 
prehended his  father.  Mr.  Farrell,  an  old  peace-officer, 
accompanied  them,  and  on  the  plea  of  gout,  requested 
O'Connell  to  ride  in  a  hackney-coach,  and  not  compel  him 
to  walk.  '  I  am  sorry  for  your  gout,'  was  the  reply,  '  but 
since  the  Lord-Lieutenant  has  chosen  to  arrest  me  as  if  I 
were  a  common  housebreaker,  the  whole  city  shall  know  it ; 
I  must  therefore  walk.'  '  The  people  were  greatly  excited,' 
proceeds  the  son,  *  and  by  more  than  one  tall  fellow — par- 
ticularly from  among  the  butchers  of  Castle  Market,  several 
of  whom  had  their  cleavers  under  their  coats — my  father 
was  assailed  with,  "  Ah,  Liberator,  say  the  word  ;  only  let 
us  at  them."  He  saw  that  the  excitement  was  at  a  dan- 
gerous height,  and  this  determined  him  to  consent  to  give 

VOL.    I.  R 


242     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0'  CONN ELL    CH.  vii. 

bail,  his  first  intention  having  been  to  go  to  prison. 
Masses  of  people  blocked  the  streets,  and  the  doors  of  the 
police  court  had  to  be  barricaded.  Barrett,  Steel,  Lawless, 
Dwyer,  and  Beynolds  were  also  placed  under  arrest. 

After  a  long  discussion  between  O'Connell  and  the 
magistrates,  he  entered  into  securities  for  £2,000.  The 
Grand  Jury  found  true  bills.  Meanwhile  he  published  a 
letter  in  the  Freeman,  declaring  the  real  object  of  the  pro- 
secution was  to  prevent  his  statement  in  Parliament  against 
Tithes  and  the  Legislative  Union.  This  letter  made  severe 
reflections  on  the  illegality  of  the  prosecutions,  and  the 
Attorney- General  obtained  an  attachment  against  the  paper 
for  a  breach  of  privilege  and  interference  with  the  course  of 
justice.  The  indictment  against  the  traversers  contained 
thirty-one  counts.  Multitudes  poured  into  Dublin,  and  the 
Government  were  in  hourly  dread  of  an  outbreak. 

To  Wm.  Neivton  Bennett.1 

Jan.  21,  1831. 

.  My  dear  Bennett, — I  did  not  answer  your  letter  of  the 
4th.  It  contained  menaces  of  danger  to  myself  personally. 
Look  at  my  conduct  since,  and  see  whether  they  have  had  any 
effect  on  me ;  but  it  is  natural  for  those  who  deem  a  duel 
the  proof  of  valour  to  suppose  that  he  who  refuses  to  fight 
a  duel 2  must  be  timid.  You,  at  least,  should  have  known 
whether  a  threat  of  personal  danger  was  likely  to  influence  me. 
The  coming  of  Lord  Anglesey  to  this  country  is  just  the 
most  mischievous  thing  that  could  possibly  have  happened. 
He  has  enough  of  character  to  make  him  imagine  that  he 
can  do  mischief  with  impunity.  He  is  driving  the  country, 
in  spite  of  me,  to  rebellion.  But  he  shall  not  if  I  can  pre- 
vent it.  Believe  me,  the  Whigs  are  deceiving  you.  Deceit 
is  their  motto.  For  myself,  I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with 
them.  I  do,  however,  think  that  such  a  plan  as  you  suggest 
might  be  realised.  But  it  will  not ;  nay,  it  is  morally  im- 

1  Mr.  (afterwards  Chief  Justice)  tator  passed.    What  the  '  plan '  or 

Bennett,    the    life-long    friend    of  '  scheme '  was  I  have  been  unable 

O'Connell,  was  much  in  the  confi-  to  discover. 

dence  of  Whig  statesmen,  and  often  2    The   papers    of    Mr.   Bennett 

formed  the  medium  through  which  throw  no  light  on  this  duel, 
communications  with  the  Great  Agi- 


1831  A   SLUMBERING   VOLCANO  243 

possible  to  bring  it  about,  because  nothing  could  be  done 
until  the  Proclamations  are  withdrawn,  and  the  prosecution 
given  up.  Yet  your  scheme  is  in  its  nature  practicable ; 
but  there  are  no  men  to  do  it.  Anglesey  is  hair-brained : 
he  knows  nothing.  I  saw  at  once  that  he  intended  his 
popularity  as  a  weapon  to  strike  down  Ireland.  But  it  is 
no  matter. 

The  Ministry  are  not  aware  of  the  true  state  of  the 
country.  The  horrible  game  of  rousing  Orange  prejudices 
again  in  the  North  has  been  resorted  to  by  the  Government 
with  some  success  :  but  are  you  aware  of  the  result  ?  The 
Orangemen  are  determined  not  to  pay  either  rents  or  tythes. 
There  is,  in  fact,  a  successful  rebellion  in  the  North.  The 
rest  of  the  country  is  ready  to  burst  into  action.  It  is  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  it  can  be  restrained.  If  not  so  re- 
strained, and  if  my  advice  and  repeated  injunctions  had 
not  weight,  at  least  three  hundred  thousand  men  would 
before  now  have  attacked  Dublin.  The  Proclamations  have 
set  the  people  wild.  It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  add  that  I 
would  never  accept  of  any  personal  favour,  and  I  am  very 
apprehensive  that  they  mean  to  delude  and  deceive  me. 

Yours  ever, 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL. 

To  T.  O'Mara. 

22nd  January,  1831. 

My  dear  O'Mara, — I  do  most  anxiously  wish  to  confer 
with  Lords  Meath  and  Cloncurry  on  the  present  awful 
position  of  public  affairs,  and  the  possibility  of  calming  the 
public  mind.  I  would  wish  that  this  desire  of  mine  should 
be  communicated  to  their  Lordships  in  the  manner  most 
respectful  to  them  both,  and  to  each  of  them  individually. 

I  have  had  a  communication  with  a  person  in  the  confi- 
dence of  the  Ministry,  in  England,  but  whose  name  I  can- 
not disclose,  who  states  distinctly  that  all  the  Ministry  desire 
is  to  postpone  the  Union  question,  until  those  of  reform, 
abolition  of  corporate  monopoly,  and  reformation  of  Church 
abuses  are  disposed  of,  thus  leaving  '  the  Union '  for  the  last. 

B   2 


244     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    OH.  vn. 

I  think  this  may  be  done  by  Lord  Cloncurry  and  Lord 
Meath,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  carry  with  them  the  public 
mind,  preserving  only  just  so  much,  or  rather  so  little,  of 
popular  agitation,  as  would  continue  the  confidence  of  the 
people  in  the  prospect  of  legitimate  redress  ;  such  prospect 
being,  in  my  mind,  the  only  mode  of  preventing  violence 
and  outrage,  and  probable  rebellion.  I  think  that  Lords 
Meath  and  Cloncurry  are  the  only  persons  in  Ireland  who 
can  certainly  save  us  all  from  scenes  too  horrible  to  be 
thought  of,  but  which  will  be  accelerated  by  shutting  the 
eyes  to  their  imminent  and  approaching  danger. 

I  would  wish  respectfully  to  offer  my  assistance  to  Lords 
Cloncurry  and  Meath :  they  should  have  that  assistance 
cordially  and  sincerely.  I  would  either  appear  prominent 
or  stay  in  the  background,  precisely  as  they  wished.  I 
would  either  agitate  with  them,  or  leave  the  entire  and  ex- 
clusive management  of  the  necessary  quantity  of  salutary 
agitation  to  them.  I  think  I  could  give  them  much  aid  ; 
and  I  am  most  desirous  of  throwing  into  their  hands  the 
full  direction  of  all  the  influence  which  I  may  possess,  what- 
ever that  be.  In  short,  I  would  desire  to  converse  with 
them  on  these  subjects ;  and  if  I  be  wrong  in  any  of  my 
views  of  the  present  position  of  affairs  in  Ireland,  there  are 
no  men  living  whose  mature  judgments  could  have  more 
influence  over  mine.  I  would  also  be  glad  to  communicate 
to  them  all  the  facts  that  have  come  to  my  knowledge 
respecting  the  state  of  popular  feeling. 

In  fine,  I  am  deeply  convinced  that  Lords  Meath  and 
Cloncurry  have  it  in  their  power  to  put  themselves  at  the 
head  of  the  popular  party  in  Ireland,  and  to  do  more  good 
to  the  country,  and  prevent  more  evil,  than  any  two  persons 
ever  had  before. 

I  need  not  add  that  no  part  of  this  correspondence,  nor 
any  communication  that  may  follow,  shall  ever  be  disclosed, 
save  by  their  direction ;  it  being  understood  that  an  honor- 
able secrecy  is  the  basis  of  our  meeting. 

I  am,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


1831 


TOM   O'MARA 


245 


Mr.  O'Mara,  enclosing  the  letter  to  Lord  Cloncurry, 
writes  :  '  I  may  say  with  Dan,  "  that  the  fate  of  the  country 
is  in  your  hands." '  He  adds,  'I  never  witnessed  anything 
so  turbulent  and  angry  as  the  populace  were  in  Dublin  this 
day,  not  even  in  the  height  of  '98.'  And  he  assures  him 
that,  come  what  might,  'while  I  can  draw  a  sword  or  a 
trigger,'  Lord  Cloncurry  would  find  him  his  fast  friend.3 
This  was  not  the  only  time  in  O'Connell's  career  when 
he  stood  scared  to  see  the  monster  that  he  himself  had 
raised. 

Lords  Meath  and  Cloncurry  met  O'Connell  as  requested, 
and  received  his  assurance  that  he  was  the  more  willing  to 
cease  agitation  in  consequence  of  a  letter  he  had  received 
from  a  man  high  in  the  confidence  of  ministers,  declaring 
their  intention  to  do  this  session  everything  for  Ireland 
short  of  '  Repeal,  provided  he  would  give  up  the  question  for 
the  present.'  He  therefore  proposed  to  his  noble  visitors 
that  he  was  prepared  to  use  his  influence  in  allaying  the 
present  ferment  provided  they  would  join  '  the  Society  for 
the  Improvement  of  Ireland '  and  there  discuss  the  Reform, 
the  Church,  and  the  Corporation  questions;  that  they 
should  promote  county  '  Reform  meetings '  and  pledge 
themselves  to  the  future  support  of  the  Repeal.  They 
declined  giving  this  engagement  and  the  matter  dropped. 

Lord  Duncannon  and  O'Connell  were  old  friends.  This 
peer  had  been  always  a  consistent  advocate  of  Liberal  pro- 
gress, and  when,  as  Earl  of  Bessborough,  he  became  Vice- 
roy of  Ireland  in  1846,  his.  intercourse  with  the  Tribune 
was  renewed.  He  was  now  a  member  of  Lord  Grey's 
Administration,  and  had  represented  in  successive  Parlia- 


3  Tom  O'Mara,  familiarly  known 
as '  T.  0.,'  was  a  connection  of  O'Con- 
nell's, and  famous  as  a  duellist. 
Mr.  O'Flanagan,  an  old  member  of 
the  Irish  Bar,  informs  us  that  this 
reputation  for  ball  practice  obtained 
him  lucrative  engagements  as  con- 
ducting agent  during  the  contested 
elections  in  Ireland.  He  perfectly 
understood  what  the  unusually  large 
retaining  fee  meant,  and  took  his 
measures  accordingly.  Observing  a 
brother  practitioner  leaving  his  post 
in  a  hurry,  O'Mara  inquired  where 
he  was  going. 

'  To  my  lodgings  for  my  pistols,' 
was  the  response. 


'  Oh  !  '  exclaimed  the  more  ex- 
perienced practitioner,  '  I  always 
keep  mine  under  the  poll  lists.' 

He  was  conducting  agent  for  a 
parsimonious  candidate  who  was 
severely  spoken  of  by  an  opposing 
elector.  The  candidate  was  called 
'  a  renegade  in  religion,  a  dishonest 
politician,  and  as  disloyal  to  his 
country  as  to  his  creed.' 

'  Do  you  hear  that  ? '  asked  the 
would-be  member,  white  with  rage. 

'  Every  word,'  replied  O'Mara. 

'  And  don't  you  mean  to  notice 
it?' 

.     '  Most  certainly  not.     Your  fee, 
sir,  was  not  a  fighting  fee.' 


246     COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 


ments  the  county  Kilkenny.  On  Lord  Duncannon's  accept- 
ance of  office  his  seat,  of  course,  became  vacant,  and  great 
exertions  were  made  to  defeat  his  re-election  upon  the 
ground  that  he  was  opposed  to  '  Kepeal  of  the  Union.'  The 
Hon.  Colonel  Butler,  who  declared  himself  a  'Kepealer,' 
was  put  forward  by  the  popular  party. 

To  Wm.  Neicton  Bennett.4 

[Jan.  1831.] 

Lord  Duncannon  must  expect  opposition  if  the  prose- 
cutions go  on.  I  have  arranged  materials  for  a  powerful 
opposition,  and  I  believe  he  will  find  it  a  hard  task  to  suc- 
ceed, coming  forward  in  the  shape  of  one  of  my  prosecutors. 
I  write  this  to  you  that  you  may,  if  you  think  fit,  give  a 
hint  of  this  peril  to  the  present  flippant  and  false  Ministry.5 
I  do  not  mean  to  go  to  war  with  them  unnecessarily,  but 
if  the  prosecutions  be  not  forthwith  withdrawn,  I  will  be 
obliged  to  give  Lord  Duncannon  a  violent  Contest,  and 
perhaps  a  complete  defeat.  He  never  was  half  so  powerful 
in  Kilkenny  as  Vesey  Fitzgerald  was  in  Clare. 

But  why  should  I  annoy  you  with  more,  as  I  write  this 
with  the  sole  view  of  your  being  able  to  show  that  the 
Ministry  themselves  have  an  interest  in  the  extinction  of 
Lord  Anglesey's  most  insulting  prosecutions. 

Let  me  tell  you  for  your  private  satisfaction,  that  if  they 
do  not  most  grossly  pack  the  jury  they  have  no  chance  of  a 
conviction.  The  Attorney-General  is  bothered.  I  write 
hastily,  and  think  I  console  myself  for  the  feeling  of  ingrati- 
tude to  Lord  Duncannon  by  giving  this  warning.  Valeat 
quantum. 

The  trial  will  certainly  last  an  entire  week.  We  have 
eight  speeches,  besides  a  host  of  witnesses,  and  then  there 
are  the  speeches  and  the  witnesses  for  the  Crown. 

P.S. — Since  I  wrote  the  above,  notice  of  trial  has  been 
served  ! !  ! 


4  William  Newton  Bennett  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Directory 
of  United  Irishmen  in  1798.  (See 
Daunt's  Recollections  of  O'Connell, 
vol.  i.  p.  99.) 


5  O'Connell  even  explained  the 
immense  staff  of  attorneys  and  com- 
mand of  money  which  he  could 
bring  to  the  contest. 


1831  LET  TEE   TO  BLACKBURNE  247 

They  are  making  a  mere  tool  of  you  in  order  to  delude 
me  and  throw  me  off  my  guard. 

Yours  ever, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Mr.  Attorney-General  Blackburne. 

Merrion  Square :  February  llth,  1831. 

Sir, — The  public  and  private  information  which  I  have 
received  from  London  this  day  impresses  on  me  very  strongly 
the  necessity  of  my  attendance  in  Parliament  in  discharge 
of  my  duties  there.     So  urgent  does  that  necessity  appear 
to  me,  that  I  take  the  liberty  of  stating  it  to  you,  with  as 
much  of  request  as  may  be  consistent  with  your  official 
situation,  that  the  trial  of  myself  and  the  other  gentlemen 
may  stand  over  until  the  next  term,  provided  there  be 
nothing  in  such  postponement  inconsistent  with  your  views 
of  the  interests  of  the  Crown  and  the   public.     All  the 
traversers  concur  in  this  wish,  but  it  is  one  which  I  express 
only  in  one  case,  namely,  that  you  see  nothing  in  the  delay 
inconsistent  with  what  your  office  demands  from  you  in  the 
most  rigid  performance  of  your  duty.     I  have  only  further 
to  add  that  it  is  totally  unnecessary  for  you  to  send  any 
written  reply  to  the  letter.     Indeed,  I  do  not  desire  any 
other  than  a  mere  signification  by  the  Crown  Solicitor  to  my 
law  agent,  either  that  duty  allows  or  forbids  you  to  comply. 
I  owe  you  an  apology  for  this  intrusion :  that  apology  is  to 
be  found  only  in  my  conviction  that  my  duty  to  my  con- 
stituents requires  my  presence  at  this  time  in  the  House  of 
Commons. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL.6 

The  Attorney-General  in  reply  declared  that  he  could 
not  suspend  the  Prosecution  for  an  instant ;  for  that,  by 
doing  so,  the  Government  would  forfeit  the  confidence  and 
support  which  its  vigorous  assertion  of  the  law  had  pro- 
cured for  it.  Mr.  Stanley,  afterwards  Lord  Derby,  privately 

8  Life  of  Francis  Blackburne,  by  Edward  Blackburne,  Q.C. 


248     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 

wrote  to  the  Attorney- General  expressing  satisfaction  that 
'We  have  O'Connell  so  far  at  our  mercy.'7  O'Connell's 
offence  consisted  in  holding  political  meetings  contrary  to 
the  Lord-Lieutenant's  proclamation.  The  indictments 
against  him  contained  sixteen  counts — two  for  an  offence  at 
common  law,  and  fourteen  for  the  violation  of  the  statute. 
He  never  was  brought  up  for  judgment. 


To  Richard  Barrett. 

Wolverhampton  :  16th  Feb.  1831. 

My  dear  Barrett, — You  will  see  by  the  papers  that  Mr. 
Stanley  has  fully  confirmed  my  statement,  that  there  was 
no  species  of  compromise  of  a  political  nature  connected  with 
the  late  law  arrangement.  He,  however,  does  not  seem  to 
have  stated  that  arrangement  at  all.  No  matter.  I  will, 
please  God,  set  that  part  of  the  business  fully  to  rights  on 
Friday  evening  in  the  Honourable  House. 

But  Mr.  Stanley  is  also  reported  to  have  said  that  I 
had  solicited,  by  my  friends,  a  compromise  of  the  prosecu- 
tion ;  whereupon,  it  is  stated,  he  was  cheered  by  all  sides 
of  the  House.  I  do  not  believe,  or  at  least  I  ought  not 
to  believe,  one  word  of  it,  because  a  greater  untruth  could 
not  be  told.  It  follows  that  he  did  not  say  so.  Does  it  not  ? 

I  beg  of  you  to  contradict  the  report  in  the  strongest 
terms.  Nothing  could  be  more  false  than  that  I  ever 


7  Blackburne  watched  O'Connell 
with  a  lynx  eye.  In  one  of  the 
stirring  public  letters  which  the 
Tribune  threw  off  at  this  period,  he 
allowed  some  language  to  escape 
which  the  Crown  pronounced  libel- 
lous. The  letter  appeared  in  the 
Morning  Register,  and  Staunton,  its 
proprietor,  was  formally  served  with 
the  legal  document  usual  on  such 
occasions.  O'Connell  not  wishing  at 
that  juncture  to  encumber  his  Par- 
liamentary career,  and  the  course  of 
Agitation  by  the  trammels  of  a 
Government  prosecution,  Staunton 
accepted  temporarily  the  onus  of 
the  alleged  libel.  O'Connell's  great 
object  was  to  gain  time,  and  he 
pledged  himself  that  Staunton  should 


not  be  a  final  sufferer.  The  follow- 
ing memorandum  of  an  interview  with 
O'Connell  was  drawn  up  by  Staunton 
and  signed  by  the  late  editor  of  the 
Evening  Post,  and  James  Strathern 
Close,  B.L.  :— 

'  He  pledged  himself  that  I 
should  not  be  a  final  sufferer— that 
he  would  pay  all  expenses — that  he 
would  be  ready  to  stand  in  my 
shoes  on  the  first  day  of  next  term 
— that  if  I  was  in  jail  then  he 
would  come  forward  to  liberate  me, 
either  by  an  avowal  in  open  court 
or  by  an  affidavit  stating  that  "  I 
am  the  author  of  the  letter,  let  this 
man  out  of  jail."  He  also  promised 
to  pay  the  expenses  of  re-registry. 
'  Feb.  9,  1831.' 


1831 


BISHOP  DOYLE 


249 


solicited  a  [compromise  of  the  Prosecution  by  any  friend 
whatever. 

I  will  state  this  fully  in  the  House  on  Friday.  Until  then, 
do  you  contradict  the  report  emphatically. 

How  I  long  to  hear  of  Colonel  Butler's  success  in  Kil- 
kenny. If  he  succeeds  you  will  have  more  anti-Unionists 
amongst  the  Irish  members  than  we  will  know  what  to  do 
with. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

I  will  be,  I  hope,  to-morrow  evening  in  the  House,  to 
vote  for  the  Jews,  if  there  be  a  Division. 

Lord  Duncannon,  wishing  to  preserve  his  seat,  is  said 
to  have  used  his  influence,  as  a  member  of  the  Govern- 
ment, in  making  innocuous  the  dreaded  prosecution.  Yet 
this  popular  man  and  friend  of  liberal  progress  narrowly 
escaped  defeat.  After  a  contest  of  six  days,  Lord  Dun- 
cannon  was  re-elected  by  a  majority  of  sixty-one.  It  is 
curious  to  note  that  Bishop  Doyle,  who  co-operated  with 
O'Connell  in  the  struggle  for  Emancipation,  differed  from 
nearly  all  his  brother  Bishops  in  deprecating  the  agita- 
tion of  1831.  Writing  to  Sir  H.  Parnell  on  March  8  in 
that  year,  he  says  that  '  everything  should  be  done  to  gain 
O'Connell ;  for  from  what  occurred  lately  at  Kilkenny,  I  am 
convinced  that  he  has  the  power  of  disturbing  the  peace, 
and  totally  deranging  the  affairs  of  this  country.  Lord 
Duncannon  would,  without  doubt,  have  lost  his  election  if 
the  priests  had  not  been  withheld  from  opposing  him ;  and 
I  think,  from  what  I  heard  and  saw  in  Kilkenny,  where  I 
spent  the  last  week  with  Dr.  Kinsella,8  that  at  the  next  elec- 
tion they  would  there,  and  probably  elsewhere,  burst  through 
the  hands  of  the  Bishop.' 9  And  Lord  Darnley  is  told,  '  Were 


8  Dr.    Kinsella,    who    attacked 
O'Connell   in   1825   (p.   113,  ante), 
was  now  Eoman  Catholic  Bishop  of 
Ossory,  a   diocese  which  embraced 
Kilkenny. 

9  The  papers  of  the  late  Knight 
of  Kerry  contain  a  letter  from  Lord 
Anglesey  also  throwing  light  on  the 
state   of    political    feeling    at    this 
time : — 


'  I  wish  I  could  dare  to  give  you 
a  favourable  report  of  the  aspect  of 
affairs  here,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say 
that  I  have  no  encouragement  to  do 
so.  It  is  true  that  the  great  cause 
of  Ireland's  misery  is  in  some  respect 
subdued.  O'Connell  embarked  for 
England  this  afternoon,  not  ventur- 
ing to  await  the  judgment  of  the 
Court  upon  his  pleas.  By  this  he 


250     COBRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN ELL    CH.  vn. 


I  found  in  opposition  at  this  moment  to  O'Connell,  I  should 
be  deserted  by  the  men  of  my  own  household.' l 

Blackburne  was  no  party  to  O'Connell's  escape.  Ee- 
ferring  to  the  dissolution  of  Parliament,  Blackburne' s 
biographer  writes :  '  It  is  plain  that  a  stroke  of  policy  so 
suddenly  and  so  secretly  decided  upon  was  not  communi- 
cated to  the  Irish  Government,  and  that  the  Attorney- 
General,  at  the  time  that  he  assented  to  a  postponement 
of  the  motion  until  the  following  May,  was  in  complete 
ignorance  of  the  state  of  affairs  on  the  other  side,  and  of 
the  necessity  of  having  O'Connell  at  once  called  up  for 
judgment. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

(Private.)  London  :  1st  March,  1831. 

My  dear  Barrett, — There  is  but  one  thing  cruel  in  the 
discussion  last  night.  I  had  as  decided  a  victory  as  ever 
was  gained.2  You  have  no  notion  how  I  scattered  the 
Philistines.  I  really,  and  without  exaggeration,  put  down 
the  House.  I  will  endeavour  to  make  out  some  amendment 
of  the  report,  and  send  it  to  you  by  coach  or  post  to-morrow. 
I  will  help  you  to  some  part,  if  not  the  whole.  But  rely  on 
it  that  I  had  a  compleat  victory.  The  Morning  Chronicle 
gives  my  reply  tolerably.  Yours  in  haste, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


forfeits  his  recognisances,  himself 
in  £1,000,  his  sureties  in  £500 
each,  or,  if  he  returns,  there  is  no 
doubt  he  will  be  committed.'— The 
Lord-Lieutenant  of  Ireland  to  the 
Bight  Hon.  M.  Fitzgerald,  M.P. 
Dublin  :  January  31,  1831. 

1  Life,  Times,  and  Correspond- 
ence of  Dr.  Doyle,  vol.  ii.  pp.  236-274. 

2  Mr.  Stanley  was  stated  to  have 
said  that   O'Connell's   friends  had 
applied   to    the   Government   offer- 
ing  to   make  some  compromise  as 
regards    the    pending    prosecution. 
On  February  28,  O'Connell  declared 
in  the  House  that  no  friend  of  his, 
with  any  authority  from  him,  or  to 
his  knowledge,  had  ever  made  such 
an  application;  but  he   thought  it 
right  to  say  that  persons  who  repre- 
sented themselves  as  authorised  by 
the   Crown  had  made  overtures  to 


him.  He  then  asked  whether  any 
such  application  had  been  made  in 
his  name ;  and  if  so,  what  was  the 
name  of  the  person  who  made  the 
application. 

Mr.  Stanley  replied  that  a  pro- 
position for  a  compromise  written 
by  Mr.  Maurice  O'Connell  had  been 
brought  to  the  Castle  by  Lord  Glen- 
gall  and  Mr.  Bennett.  O'Connell  ad- 
mitted that  Mr.  Bennett  had  written 
to  him  on  behalf  of  the  Government 
and  made  a  proposition  which  was 
much  in  his  favour,  but  he  (O'Con- 
nell) wrote  back  refusing  to  accede 
to  the  terms. — Condensed  from  the 
report  in  the  Dublin  Evening  Post 
of  March  5,  1831. 

In  a  MS.  letter  addressed  to  one 
of  the  above  negotiators,  O'Connell 
writes  :  '  For  myself  I  want  nothing, 
but  for  Ireland  much.' 


1831 


POOE  LAWS 


251 


Bishop  Doyle  had  long  and  ably  sought  to  procure  a 
legal  provision  for  the  Irish  poor.  O'Connell  objected  to 
Poor  Laws,  which,  he  thought,  were  calculated  to  dry  up 
the  fount  of  private  bounty. 

To  Bishop  Doyle. 

London  :  29th  March,  1831. 

My  Lord, — You  have  convinced  me — your  pamphlet 
on  the  necessity  of  making  a  legal  provision  for  the  destitute 
Irish  poor  has  completely  convinced  me.  The  candour  and 
distinctness  with  which  you  state  the  arguments  against 
that  provision,  and  the  clear  and  satisfactory  manner  in 
which  you  have  answered  and  refuted  those  arguments, 
have  quite  overpowered  my  objections,  and  rendered  me  an 
unwilling,  but  not  the  less  sincere,  convert  to  your  opinions. 
I  candidly  acknowledge  that  you  have  done  more — you  have 
alarmed  me  lest,  in  the  indulgence  of  my  own  selfishness 
as  a  landowner,  I  should  continue  to  be  the  opponent  of 
him  who  would  feed  the  hungry  and  enable  the  naked  to 
clothe  themselves. 

My  Lord,  I  am  much  pressed  in  point  of  time,  but  I 
feel  it  imperative  on  me  to  announce  this  my  conversion, 
with  a  view  to  endeavour  to  render  it  useful.  I  am  not  an 
admirer  of  that  species  of  conviction  which  contents  itself 
with  mere  mental  gratification.  You  will  not  be  surprised 
that  I  do  not  estimate  too  highly  the  value  of  '  faith  without 
works,'  and  you  will,  therefore,  be  prepared  to  find  me  ready 
to  endeavour  to  realise  that  which  I  believe  to  be  salutary 
to  the  people — the  poor  people  of  Ireland. 

The  scenes  which  you  have  actually  witnessed — the 
misery  which  you  have  actually  beheld — the  woe  which  you 
have  actually  wept  over — the  famishing  children — the 
starving  parent — the  perishing  youth — the  young  blood 
running  cold,  chilled  by  penury — the  aged  sinking  into  the 
grave  under  the  pressure  of  hunger — avaricious  cruelty 
thinning  the  folds  of  their  population,  and  starvation  filling 
the  churchyards  with  emaciated  victims  ! — I  cannot,  my 
Lord,  endure  to  look  at  the  picture  you  have  drawn  from 


252     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 

the  life,  and  strewed  with  real  dead.  I  will  not  bear  it 
without  at  least  a  struggle,  and  now  I  offer  myself — all  that 
I  have  of  energy  and  perseverance — to  the  cause  which  you 
support  and  ornament — the  cause  of  the  poor,  the  destitute, 
the  famishing — the  cause  of  the  unjustly  afflicted  man — the 
cause — am  I  at  liberty  to  say  it  without  profaneness  ? — the 
cause  of  God.  .  .  . 

During  the  continued  struggle  the  people  are  scarcely 
heard  crying  for  bread,  and  there  is  none  to  break  it  to 
them.  Let  us,  my  Lord,  attend  to  their  cry,  and  whilst 
we  pursue,  as  reason  and  conviction  may  dictate,  our  re- 
spective views  of  other  measures  for  national  relief,  let  us 
combine,  as  well  as  we  can,  good  men  of  every  party,  sect 
and  persuasion,  to  afford  relief  to  the  aged,  the  sick,  the 
destitute,  and  the  famishing. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  13th  April,  1831. 

My  dear  Fitz, — I  am  in  a  great  passion  with  you,  and 
it  is  not  easy  to  put  me  into  a  rage  with  you.  But  see 
whether  I  have  not  cause  of  quarrel  with  you.  You  are 
one  of  three  who  promised  to  call  at  the  offices  of  the 
Register,  Freeman,  and  Pilot,  and  to  get  the  papers  sent  to 
me  beginning  with  Saturday  last.  I  told  you,  and  you 
promised  to  give  in  my  address — '  House  of  Commons,' 
London.  I  expected  to  have  found  Saturday's  papers  before 
me  on  my  arrival,  and  to  have  got  the  newspapers  of 
Monday  this  day,  but  not  one  paper  has  arrived.  Do 
you  know  that  it  gives  me  a  sensation  of  sickness  to  be 
thus  disappointed  ?  I  have  no  intelligence  from  Ireland 
save  what  I  pick  up  from  the  miserable  gleanings  of  the 
scoundrel  English  press. 

I  spoke  often  and  rather  well,  '  ipse  loquitur,'  in  the 
House  last  night,  on  various  topics,  especially  on  the  Union 
and  Jury  Bill,  but  I  am  badly,  very  badly  reported. 

I  am,  however,  too  mortified  to  write  more  this  day. 
Will  you  atone  for  this,  your  first  offence,  by  going  to  the 


1831  LORD  DUNCANNON  253 

offices  and  giving  them  a  good  scolding  ?  See  whether  you 
could  get  the  missing  papers  sent  me. — Believe  me  to  be, 
with  great  sincerity,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

An  important  correspondence  with  Lord  Duncannon, 
throwing  light  on  the  political  history  of  the  time,  now 
begins,  and  I  am  indebted  for  this  acquisition  to  his  son, 
the  Earl  of  Bessborough. 

From  the  year  1805,  when  Lord  Duncannon  entered 
Parliament,  he  proved  himself  the  friend  of  all  liberal  mea- 
sures. Inquiry,  Economy  and  Reform  received  his  support, 
while  Ireland  had  special  cause  to  thank  him  for  a  cordial 
devotion  to  her  interests.  On  the  subject  of  Catholic 
Emancipation  he  was  exceedingly  warm.  When  Canning 
decided  not  to  make  it  or  Parliamentary  Reform  Cabinet 
questions,  we  are  told  that  Lords  Spencer  and  Duncannon 
were  '  furious  against  him.' 3  With  the  former  peer  Dun- 
cannon  was  closely  connected  ;  also  with  Lords  Bathurst, 
Melbourne,  Westmoreland,  and  Shaftesbury.  His  high 
principles  and  amenity  of  manner  won  him  many  friends, 
and  few  men  had  more  influence  in  Parliament  or  out 
of  it. 

The  esteem  in  which  even  strong  Conservatives  held 
him  was  shown  in  1847  by  the  cordial  testimony  borne  to 
his  worth  by  Lord  Roden  in  the  Upper  House,  and  by 
Messrs.  Lefroy  and  Shaw  in  the  Commons.4 

Lord  Duncannon  had  long  maintained  friendly  relations 
with  O'Connell ;  and  when,  on  the  accession  of  the  Whigs 
to  power  in  1831,  he  obtained  high  office,  '  the  Agitator ' 
pronounced  it  to  be  '  the  harbinger  of  peace  to  Ireland,  and 
of  honour  and  dignity  to  the  Administration.' 

Lord  Duncannon  to  O'Connell. 

London :  April  27,  1831. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  just  heard  that  I  have  a  contest 
in  the  county  of  Kilkenny.  I  have  talked  so  openly  to 

3  Diary  and  Correspondence  of  Lord  Duncannon,  said,  '  No  member 
Lord  Colchester,  vol.  iii.  p.  486.  of  the  Whig  Party  was  regarded  by 

4  Lord  Roden  was  Grand  Master  political    opponents    with    warmer 
of    the     Irish     Orangemen.       The  affection,   probably  none    with    an 
Standard,  in  recording  the  death  of  affection  so  warm.' 


254     COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL  CH.  vn. 


you  on  those  subjects  that  I  can  have  no  difficulty  in  saying 
to  you  that  I  am  anxious  not  to  be  taken  away  from  hence 
for  a  longer  time  than  is  necessary,  as  great  exertions  are 
needed  here  against  the  opposers  of  the  Bill,  and  my  pre- 
sence is  necessary.  I  have  no  right  to  dictate  to  a  large 
Co.  in  the  choice  of  their  representative,  but  for  this  par- 
ticular case  it  is  very  desirable  to  support  the  supporters 
of  Reform.  This  I  am  sure  is  your  opinion,  and  at  all 
events  I  hope  that  your  friends  will  not  assist  an  opposition 
on  this  occasion.  Col.  Butler,  I  am  told,  considers  himself 
pledged  to  stand.  If  you  should  hear  anything  on  this 
subject  you  will  much  oblige  me  by  letting  me  hear  from 
you.  The  accounts  from  the  country  here  are  excellent, 
but  the  opposers  of  the  Bill  are  very  vehement  and  deter- 
mined in  their  opposition.  Pray  let  me  hear  what  is  likely 
to  occur  in  Waterford  and  in  the  northern  counties. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DUNCANNON. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Brooke's :  Sunday. 
[April  1831.] 

My  Lord, — Sharman  Crawford  is  the  man  for  Down.5 
I  believe  communication  has  been  already  made  to  him. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  suitable  men  in  Ireland  to  be  in 
Parliament.  I  believe  Lord  George6  has  but  a  poor  prospect 
in  Waterford.  I  understand  from  Sir  Eichard  Musgrave 
that  he  has  none  at  all — Sir  Richard's  expression  that  he 
cannot  appear  at  the  hustings. 

I  believe  we  have  at  least  one  good  man  for  Longford — 
Nugent  of  Donore.  I  have  written  to  him.7 

I  have  also  made  an  arrangement  to  take  a  fair  chance 
for  two  reformers  in  Dublin ;  but  we  would  certainly  succeed 
if  the  Irish  Government  acted  with  vigour.  Tell  them  that 

1830.    Lord   George's   successor  in 
1831  was  Sir  B.  Musgrave,  Bart. 

7  Sir  Percy  Nugent,  Bart.,  of 
Donore,  did  not  come  forward  for 
Longford,  unless  as  High  Sheriff. 
From  1847  to  1852  he  represerted 
Westmeath. 


6  W.  Sharman  Crawford  did  not 
come  forward  until  the  General 
Election  of  1832.  He  will  be  gene- 
rally found  in  opposition  to  O'Con- 
nell. 

6  Lord  George  Beresford  and 
O'Connell  represented  Waterford  in 


1831 


MAJOR  SIEE 


255 


they  have  Dublin  in  their  power — unless  they  allowed 
themselves  to  be  insulted  by  their  own  servants,  for  the 
police  officers  make  them  servants  of  any  and  every  ad- 
ministration. If  two  or  three  police  justices  were  dismissed 
for  their  recent  conduct,  and  Corporators  friendly  to  Govern- 
ment appointed  in  their  stead,  it  would  terrify  the  rest  and 
effectually  prevent  them  from  opposing  the  reforming 
candidates.8  But  if  the  administration  will  not  show  vigour 
against  their  real  enemies,  why,  who  can  be  of  use  to  them? 

I  do  not  know  much  of  Londonderry  County,  but  I 
entertain  hopes  of  frightening  both  members,9  if  not  doing 
more  against  one  of  them.  Monaghan  ought  to  give  one  at 
least  favourable.  Lord  Eossmore's  son  1  might  be  the  man. 

I  go  off  after  post.     More  to-morrow. 

Believe  me,  &c. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Eeform  was  the  object  now  most  dear  to  Lord  Dun- 
cannon's  heart ;  and  Lord  Durham,  when  preparing  the  Bill 
to  effect  it,  received  from  him  very  valuable  aid. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Merrion  Square :  27th  April,  1831. 

My  Lord, — On  arrival  here  this  day,  I  of  course  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  business,  and  I  am  happy  to  say  that  every 
thing  has  as  favorable  an  aspect  as  one  could  almost  wish. 

1st.  Dublin  City.  We  have  already  our  reforming  can- 
didate in  the  field,  and  I  hope  before  to-morrow  evening  we 

8  Town-Major  Sirr,  the  famous 
terrorist  of  1798,  was  appointed  a 
police  magistrate  in  1808,  and 
earned  the  Duke  of  York's  public 
eulogy.  Dr.  Madden,  in  his  United 
Irishmen  (i.  480),  says  that  when  the 
Whigs  came  into  power  Sirr  shaped 
his  politics  to  those  of  the  existing 
Government.  When  Reform  began 
to  be  talked  of  at  the  Castle,  he  be- 
came a  Eeformer,  and  attended  a 
public  meeting  in  Dublin  on  the 
successful  issue  of  the  French  Revo- 
lution in  1830.  '  When  there  was 
nothing  to  be  got  or  gained  by  sup- 


porting the  ascendancy,'  adds  Mad- 
den, 'the  Major  voted  for  Mr. 
O'Connell.'  He  died  in  1841,  and 
his  remains  were  consigned  to  St. 
Werburgh's,  Dublin,  where  Lord 
Edward  Fitzgerald,  whom  he  arrested 
and  shot  in  1798,  also  sleeps.  (See 
p.  235,  where  Sirr  provides  the 
Attorney-general  with  the  name  of 
a  man  ready  to  spy  upon  O'Connell.) 

9  Sir  Robert  Bateson,  Bart.,  and 
Captain  Jones,  R.N. 

1  Hon.  Henry  Westenra  stood  for 
Monaghan  Co.  in  1832,  but  did  not 
succeed.  In  1835  he  was  returned. 


256     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 

shall  have  another ;  and  success  is  certain  if  the  Government 
support  their  friends  as  they  ought  to  do.  For  example, 
Alderman  Tyndal  and  other  police  magistrates  opposed 
violently  the  Eeform  Bill ;  they  would  not  have  dared  to  do 
so  under  the  late  Government  if  that  or  any  other  measure 
had  the  support  of  that  Ministry.  Now  if  this  Alderman 
was  removed  from  the  police,  and  another  person  who  voted 
for  reform  on  the  Board  of  Aldermen  substituted  for  him , 
it  would  have  a  decisive  effect.  I  do  not  know  Tyndal  per- 
sonally, but  I  have  heard  he  is  just  the  man  who  is  suited 
to  be  thrown  overboard.  One  energetic  step  of  this  kind 
secures  the  Corporation  interest,  especially  if  aided  by  some 
small  favours  conferred  on  '  Judkin  Butler '  and  one 
'  Sutter,'  both  agitators  of  the  common  council,  whose  assist- 
ance in  canvassing  might  be,  I  think,  easily  procured.  I 
will  see  both  Lord  Plunket  and,  if  I  can,  Lord  Anglesey 
on  these  subjects  and  others  to-morrow.  I  have  put  myself 
in  communication  with  the  former  already. 

2d.  Kilkenny.  I  saw  Col.  Butler2  himself  this  day.  You 
are,  I  suppose,  already  apprised  that  you  have  no  need  to 
think  of  the  election  or  to  come  over. 

3d.  Carlow.  As  yet  in  doubt,  but  there  must  be  a 
contest  against  Kavanagh.3 

4th.  Longford.  Col.  White's  brother — his  name  is  Luke4 
— starts  as  a  reformer  with  the  fairest  prospects  of  success. 
He  has  50  votes,  there  are  150  Catholics  who  will  vote  with 
him  to  a  man,  about  20  independent  Protestants  who  sup- 
port him  as  a  Eeformer,  and  255  would  secure  a  majority. 
He  has  money,  and  is  determined  to  succeed.  Nugent,  of 
Down,  of  a  respectable  Catholic  family,  will,  I  trust,  be  the 
second  candidate,  and  two  can  succeed  as  easily  as  one. 

5th.  Wexford.     My   accounts   are   very   favorable.      I 

2  Pierce  Butler,  who  lately  op-       In  1831   he  was  succeeded  as  M.P. 
posed    Lord    Duncannon    for    Kil-       for  Carlow   County   by   Sir    Milley 
kenny,    Colonel    of    the    Kilkenny      Doyle. 

Militia,    son   of    Lord    Montgarret.  4  Luke   White,  of  Eacline,   sat 

Born  1774,  died  1846.  for    Longford  almost  continuously 

3  Thomas   Kavanagh   of   Borris  until    1842.     He    died    unmarried, 
had   conformed    from   the    Eoman  and  his  brother  Henry  was  created 
Catholic  to  the  Protestant  Church.  Lord  Annaly. 


1831 


THE  BERESFOBDS  AGAIN 


257 


think  Lord  Valentia  has  no  chance  ;  but  I  will  put  a  spoke 
in  his  wheel  capable  of  retarding  him  even  in  a  favorable 
career.  I  fortunately  possess,  by  mere  accident,  the  power 
of  doing  so.5 

6th.  Wexford  town  declares  a  determination  to  put  out 
Dauny,6  though  not  determined  who  to  put  in.  I  do  not, 
therefore,  reckon  much  (to-day)  on  this,  but  hope  for  more 
distinct  news  to-morrow. 

7th.  One  of  the  first  in  my  thoughts,  WATERFOED.  My 
Election  is,  I  am  told,  secure ;  but  I  should  like  a  hint  to 
the  Powers 7  of  Clashmore  to  have  their  voters  go  with  the 
Duke  of  Devonshire's  as  to  both  votes.  Can  you  do  any- 
thing to  get  Lady  Cremorne's  interest  ?  The  next  and 
most  important  point  is  to  put  out  Lord  George.8  I  may 
walk  over  the  course  with  him,  but  this  is  a  crisis  in  which 
I  prefer  a  contest.  The  Sheriff  is  what  we  call  a  '  terrible 
Tory.'  Only  think  that  he  is  already,  as  I  am  assured, 
fitting  up  the  gaol  to  hold  the  freeholders  of  the  Beresfords, 
and  it  is  intended  to  break  open  a  passage  thence  into  an 
adjoining  store  for  the  voters  to  pass  in  and  out.  This  is 
an  use  to  which  a  gaol  should  not  be  put,  and  no  person 
has  a  right  to  break  its  walls.  The  sheriff  shoidd  be  pro- 
hibited from  interfering  in  any  such  way,  and  if  he  perse- 
veres in  refusing  to  promise  not  to  do  so,  he  should  be 
superseded,  and  Villiers  Stuart  or  John  Musgrave,  or  some 
other  gentleman  of  high  character,  appointed  Sheriff  in  his 
place.  Besides,  we  do  not  want  any  increase  of  army  or 
police  during  the  election.  I  will  answer  with  my  head  for 
the  perfect  peace  of  the  county.  The  army  or  police 
can  be  useful  only  to  overawe  the  popular  electors  and 
candidate. 


5  George  Annesley,  Viscount 
Valentia,  of  Bletchingdon  Park, 
Oxfordshire.  Born  1793,  died  1841. 
He  had  been  returned  for  Wexford 
County  in  1830,  but  in  1832  was 
displaced  by  Shapland  Carew, 
created  a  peer  in  1834. 

8  The  members  for  Wexford 
Town  in  1831  were  William  Wigram 
and  Charles  Arthur  Walker. 

VOL.    I. 


'  Dauny  '  is  an  Irish  epithet  of  con- 
tempt for  a  mannikin.  Walker  was 
always  popular. 

7  The  Powers  of  Clashmore  are 
now    represented    by  the    Earl    of 
Huntingdon.     Power  was   returned 
with   Villiers    Stuart   at   the    great 
Waterford  Election  in  1826. 

8  Lord  George  Beresford. 


S 


258    COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 

8th.  I  have  the  satisfaction  to  tell  you  that  we  have  got 
a  reformer  for  Kerry.  Certainly  either  my  brother  or  Mr. 
Bernard,  of  Ballynagar.  The  latter  is  a  most  suitable  Can- 
didate ;  he  would  give  place  to  my  brother  if  I  could  get 
him  to  stand ;  but,  at  all  events,  we  are  sure  of  turning  out 
the  Knight.9  No  man  deserves  such  a  fate  better. 

9th.  Drogheda.  Wallace  is  certain  of  sending  North 
adrift;  this  is  beyond  a  doubt.  Wallace  supports  the  whole 
Bill.1 

Keep  Lord  Anglesey  and  Lord  Plunket  as  well  as  you 
possibly  can  to  the  sticking  point.  If  the  Irish  Govern- 
ment supports  the  Eeformers  properly  their  success  will 
be  most  exhilarating.  I  send  as  yet  nothing  of  Clare. 

intends  to  contest  it  with  my  son ;  but  his  resources 

of  bribery  are  exhausted.    My  son  would  give  up  the  County, 
but   that   the   organization,    become  so  frightful  in  that 
county,  is,  I  fear  and  believe,  much  to  be  attributed  to  his 
antagonist.     Of  this  more  in  my  next.     I  weary  you. 
Eespectfully  and  faithfully  yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Merrion  Square  :  29th  April,  1831. 

My  Lord, — I  must  write,  I  fear,  incoherently,  but  the 
business  presses. 

1st.  You  are  before  now  certain  that  there  will  not  be  a 
contest  in  Kilkenny.2  Col.  Butler  put  the  compliment  on 
me  of  having  declined  in  consequence  of  my  letter  to  him. 
But  I  am  too  candid  to  do  so  by  you.  All,  however,  is  safe 
in  that  quarter. 

2dly.  Waterford,  and  the  turning  out  of  Lord  George. 
I  am  sacrificing  everything  to  the  extinction  of  that  political 
enemy ;  but  why  talk  now  of  myself  ?  Winston  Barron  is 
the  only  second  candidate  we  can  get ;  but  he  is  unpopular 

9  Daniel  O'Connell  himself  was  studies  of  both  men  appear  in  Cur- 
returned  for  Kerry,  vice  the  Knight  ran's  Sketches  of  the  Irish  Bar. 
of  Kerry.  2  Lord   Duncannon    represented 

1  Thomas  Wallace,    K.C.,    dis-  the  county  Kilkenny, 
placed  J.    H.   North,  LL.D.     Fine 


1831 


ELECTION  SEEING  PLANS 


259 


and  a  Catholic.  Two  Catholics  would  raise  an  adverse 
Protestant  cry.  Now  for  our  plan.  We  have  fixed  on  Mr. 
Lamb.3  The  terms  are  these:  Mr.  Lamb  to  stand  with  me 
for  the  county.  All  his  expenses  shall  be  borne.  To  that  I 
pledge  myself.  Winston  Barron  to  get  Dungarvan.  If 
Mr.  Lamb  be  not  returned  for  the  county,  Winston  Barron 4 
takes  the  Chiltern  Hundreds,  and  Mr.  Lamb  gets  Dungar- 
van without  any  contest.  This  may  also  throw  me  out  of 
the  county,  in  which  case  Barron  equally  resigns  and  I  con- 
sider myself  decidedly  entitled  to  Dimgarvan,  Lamb  being 
the  county  member.  Consider  all  these  terms  as  certain, 
and  act  upon  them  as  such.  I  pledge  myself  to  their 
literal  performance. 

With  Mr.  Lamb  as  the  popular  candidate,  Mr.  Power, 
of  Clashmore,  will  vote  for  him  heartily.  The  parsons  who 
belong  to  the  Duke  would  have  an  excuse  for  voting  against 
Barron  and  me.  I  do  not  want  them.  But  they  will  not  be 
able  to  refuse  voting  for  Mr.  Lamb.  I  reckon  on  a  differ- 
ence of  forty  votes  at  the  least  in  favour  of  Mr.  Lamb 
which  Winston  Barron  would  not  get,  and  which  will  be 
decisive  of  the  Election. 

3dly.  We  want  two  additional  Magistrates  in  the  CITY 
of  Waterford.  The  Lord  Lieut,  has  power  to  name  them 
under  the  7th  G.  4th  c.  61.  The  election  takes  place  in 
the  city  of  Waterford.  We  want  Magistrates  who  will  take 
care  that  the  peace  shall  not  be  broken  by  the  paid  conserva- 
tors !  !  !  The  case  for  more  magistrates  under  the  Act  is 
perfect.  I  propose  Roger  Hayes,  Esq.,  a  retired  barrister, 
living  in  Waterford,  with  a  fortune  of  at  least  £1,500  per 
ann.,  and  James  Esmonde,  Esq.,  worth  more  than  £1,000 
per  ann.,  both  Magistrates  of  the  County.  It  is  essential  I 
should  have  a  letter  directing  this  to  be  done,  if  that  be  our 
usual  course.5 


3  Hon.  George  Lamb,  M.P.  for 
the  borough  of  Dungarvan,  joint 
Home  Secretary  under  the  Grey 
Administration.  He  was  the  brother 
of  Lord  Melbourne,  who  had  mar- 
ried in  1824  Lord  Duncannon's  sister, 


Lady  Caroline  Ponsonby,  author  of 
'  Glenarvon,'  '  Ada  Eeis,'  &c. 

4  Winston  Barron  was  created  a 
baronet  by  Lord  Melbourne. 

5  Lord     Duncannon    was    Lord 
Lieutenant  of  the  county. 

s2 


260     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN  ELL    CH.  vii. 

I  deserve  to  be  assisted  to  do  good.  I  have  Kerry  at 
my  hand  without  one  shilling  expense.  I  prefer  a  contest 
with  a  chance  of  sinking  into  a  borough  member,  because 
I  see  a  prospect  of  destroying  an  interest  adverse  to  the 
Keform  Bill. 

If  Mr.  Lamb  can  come  over,  the  sooner  the  better.  We 
will  be  prepared  with  a  requisition  to  him  to  stand. 

Wallace,  on  whom  I  relied  for  Drogheda,  I  hear  is  doing 
only  mischief.  There  are  some  men  born  with  heads  that 
see  all  matters  upside  down  and  act  accordingly.  However, 
do  not  despair.  There  shall  be  a  popular  contest.6 

I  can  write  no  more  this  day,  but,  like  all  projectors,  I 
think  my  Waterford  scheme  perfect,  and  have  all  the 
materials  at  our  side  for  carrying  it  into  effect. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Dungarvan. — I  have  seen  Dominick  Eonayne.  All  is 
safe  for  Mr.  Lamb.  He  need  not  come  over. 

To  Sir  J.  M.  Doyle,  K.C.B. 

Merrion  Square  :  29th  April,  1831. 

My  dear  Sir  John, — I  am  very  happy  to  hear  that  you 
are  about  to  join  Sir  Thomas  Butler  in  contesting  the 
County  of  Carlow  on  Eeform  principles.  I  have  expressed 
to  many  my  most  anxious  wish  to  be  able  to  contribute  in 
any  way  to  his  success,  as  I  am  convinced  it  would  be  a 
national  good  to  have  him  returned.  I  say  this  to  excuse 
my  not  putting  you  in  the  front  rank,  where  you  always 
liked  to  be.  But  if  I  can  under  those  circumstances  be  of 
any  use  to  you  in  Carlow  as  a  second  candidate,  or  in  any 
disengaged  place  as  the  first  candidate,  you  will  not  only 
command  my  best  exertions  but  afford  me  great  pleasure. 
T  am  convinced  you  will  be  as  true  in  the  Senate  as  you 
were  gallant  in  the  field,  and  that  we  shall  together  dis- 

6  '  A  popular  contest '  there  was,  appointed  to  a  high  post  in  the  Ex- 

and  Carew  O'Dwyer,  an  able  mem-  chequer,  and  enjoyed  to  his  death  a 

her  of  the  late  Catholic  Association,  pension  of  near  £3,000  a  year, 
sent  Wallace  adrift.     O'Dwyer  was 


I 


1831 


HIS  BEOTHEE  JOHN 


261 


comfit  the  Tories  and  gain  the  victory  for  the  King  and 
the  Ministry  on  the  great  Eeform  measure. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Brother. 

Merrion  Square  :  2d  May,  1831. 

My  dear,  dear  John, — You  never  will  repent  what  you 
have  done,  come  good  come  evil ;  you  [torn]  and  I  never 
will  reproach  you  or  repine.  You  will  see  my  address  in 
the  Pilot  of  this  evening.  I  had  an  address  to  the  County 
of  Waterford  actually  in  print  when  your  letter  and  the 
Tralee  paper  arrived.  You  must  now  instantly  begin  to 
work."  You  must  ransack  the  county.  Speak  to  the 
Bishop.  Engage  every  voter.  Write  every  Priest.  Send 
Maurice  and  Charles  Brennan  in  every  direction  where  a 
voter  can  be  had.  Write  to  James  8  to  come  home  at  once 
and  assist  us.  Do  not  deceive  yourself  as  to  my  majority. 
Remember  every  promise  you  get  makes  a  difference  of 
two.  Eecollect  (it  is  the  only  thing  I  shall  remind  you  of) 
that,  as  you  have  made  me  throw  away  Waterford,  you  are 
bound  to  help  me  in  Kerry. 

1  leave  this  to-morrow  for  Limerick,  but  I  can  not 
start  early.  In  consequence  of  that  I  will  not  be  in 
Limerick  until  the  next  day,  Thursday,  and  then  I  must 
give  my  poor  Maurice  one  day  in  Clare.  That  is  Friday. 
I  therefore  cannot  be  in  Tralee  until  Sunday. 

I  suppose  the  Members  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
will  become  my  Committee.  If  proper  arrangements  can 
[be]  made  the  expense  will  be  as  nothing.  How  I  shall  long 
to  see  your  letter  to  Limerick  !  Write  to  everybody  in  my 
name  or  as  Chairman  of  my  Committee. 

With  warmest  love  to  all  your  People,  believe  me  ever 

your  most  affect.  Brother,  ^^ 

J  DANIEL  0  CONNELL. 


7  John  O'Connell  had  taken  steps 
to  ensure  the  election  of  his  brother 
Dan  as  M.P.  for  Kerry.  Possibly 
he  thought  by  so  doing  to  hold 
his  ardour  in  check.  See  note  to 
letter  of  July  25,  1830.  One  letter, 


for  which  Blackburne  threatened  to 
prosecute  O'Connell,  was  addressed 
'  To  the  Constituents  of  Waterford.' 
8  His  brother,  afterwards  Sir 
James  O'Connell,  Bart. 


262    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  viu 


To  Charles  Bianconi.9 


(Most  private,  most  confidential.) 


Limerick  :  6th  May,  1831. 


My  dear  Bianconi, — You  will  hear  with  indignation  as. 
well  as  surprise  that  Lord  Kenrnare  has  turned  against  me 
in  Kerry.  Having  given  up  Waterford,  and  being  now 
doubtful  in  Kerry,  many  friends  of  mine  have  turned  their 
longing  eyes  to  Tipperary.  I  write  to  you  for  an  answer 
to  these  two  questions.  First :  Could  you  get  for  me  a 
Eequisition  to  stand  respectably  signed  ?  Secondly  :  Could 
you  return  me  beyond  any  doubt  ? 

Write  to  me  here,  and  do  not  show  this  letter  to  any- 
body, unless  in  the  strictest  confidence. 

Always  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL. 

The  searching  severity  with  which  Lord  Anglesey 
sought  to  crush  O'Connell's  political  organisations  drove 
the  Tribune  to  resort  to  various  expedients  in  his  effort  to 
continue  agitation.  At  a  house  in  Stephen  Street,  Dublin, 
rented  by  himself,  and  which  he  styled  '  the  Parliamentary 
Office,'  he  announced  his  intention  of  resigning  Clare  and 
becoming  a  candidate  for  a  southern  county.  The  ques- 
tion then  arose  who  should  succeed  O'Connell  in  Clare.  To 
Major  MacNamara  he  had  been  allied  by  ties  of  early 
friendship,  but  the  Major  urged  him  to  consider  solely  poli- 
tical claims,  and  thereupon  O'Connell  brought  forward  the 
O'Gorman  Mahon  as  a  candidate.  A  tissue  of  vexatious 
misunderstandings  arose,  which  ended  in  Maurice  O'Connell 
challenging  the  Major.  Meanwhile  O'Connell  quarrelled 
with  Mahon,  and  a  violent  personal  encounter  was  the 
result.  O'Connell  was  seated  in  a  triumphal  car,  attended 
by  a  great  multitude,  when  O'Gorman  Mahon,  in  an 
opposition  chariot,  also  followed  by  a  crowd,  drew  up  along- 
side the  Liberator's  car,  which  he  attempted  to  scale  with 


9  For  nearly  half  a  century 
Bianconi's  cars,  many  of  them 
carrying  important  mails  and  tra- 
velling at  all  hours  of  the  day  and 
night,  often  in  the  most  lonely  places, 
conferred  a  boon  on  Ireland  and 


caused  him  to  be  styled  '  the  Colos- 
sus of  Eoads,'  and  sometimes  '  Hero 
of  Cars,'  alluding  to  Sir  Femvick 
Williams.  (See  O'Connell's  amusing 
letter  to  Bianconi,  March  24,  1843.) 


1831 


NEW  CONTEST  FOR   CLARE 


263 


the  object,  as  it  was  supposed,  of  ousting  him.  He  was  a 
powerful  man,  six  feet  high ;  but  O'Connell  grappled  with 
him,  and  flung  him  back  into  the  crowd  as  though  he  were 
a  child.  In  the  end  Maurice  O'Connell  was  elected. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

(Private.)  Ennis  :  May  15th,  1831. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  came  in  here  yesterday  from  Tralee. 
My  brother,  with  several  others,  preceded  me.  We  found 
the  county  polled  out,  but  .  .  .  keeping  the  poll  open  for 
mere  purposes  of  vexation,  and  causing  expense.  His 
career  has  been  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  that  ever  yet 
was  exhibited.  No  other  human  being  but  himself  would 
have  dared  to  attempt  it.  First,  he  canvassed  as  a 
'  Terry- Alt,' l  and  continued  to  do  so  until  the  day  of 
election.  Even  his  speech,  as  reported  by  himself,  is  full 
of  that  strain.  His  failure  is,  however,  a  proof  that  the 
influence  of  the  miscreants  of  that  party  is  not  para- 
mount, but  it  did  a  great  deal  for  him.  It  is  probable  that, 
without  the  aid  of  the  '  Terry- Alt '  system,  he  could  not 
poll  one  hundred  votes  by  all  his  other  exertions.  Secondly, 
finding  that  the  system  of  terror  became  insufficient,  some 
of  his  friends  resorted  to  the  plan  by  which  he  got  in  before 
— namely,  bribery.  They,  one  way  or  the  other  (and  it  is 
believed  chiefly  by  committing  to  his  utter  ruin  his  unfor- 
tunate youngest  brother)  raised  between  them  some  twelve 
hundred  pounds,  and  made  a  desperate  effort  with  that  sum 
on  Monday.  It  was,  however,  soon  exhausted,  and  with  it 
ended  all  hope  of  success.  On  Tuesday  he  polled  but 
sixteen,  on  Wednesday  but  six  ;  and  yet,  as  the  Law  allows 
him  to  keep  open  the  poll  this  day,  he  does  keep  it  open, 
without  having  one  single  voter  to  produce.  Thirdly,  being 
defeated  in  their  system  of  terror,  and  exhausted  in  funds, 
so  that  there  could  be  no  more  bribery,  he  resorted  to 
rousing  at  his  side  the  spirit  of — what  think  you  ? — Orange 
bigotry !  It  is  certainly  a  fact.  He  determined  to  '  put 

1  An  agrarian  confederacy. 


264     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON  NELL    CH.  vii. 

down  the  priests.'  Such  were  his  words,  but  infinitely 
more  virulent,  as  I  understand.  Indeed  nothing,  it  is  said, 
could  exceed  the  coarseness  of  his  expressions.  He  got 
circulars  written  to  all  the  parsons,  and  to  several  of  the 
Brunswick  high  party,  promising  to  oppose  the  bill !  ! !  and 
put  down  priestly  domination.  But  although  these  circulars 
were  in  a  great  measure  supported,  and  indeed  backed,  by 
a  fat  attorney  of  the  name  of  Greene,  one  of  the  oldest 
Orangemen  in  Ireland,  and  by  the  noted  Thomas  Mahon, 
of  biblical  and  Kildare  Place  celebrity,  yet  they  so  totally 
failed  as  not  to  produce  one  single  vote.  The  Parsons  and 
the  Brunswickers  were  too  keen  to  be  deluded  with  the 
proffered  support  of  a  man  who,  having  been  untrue  to 
every  other  party,  and  especially  to  his  own,  could  not 
possibly  be  true  to  them ;  they  rejected  him  with  scorn. 
The  last  attempt  came  then.  I  hope,  and  wish  to  believe, 
that  there  was  no  kind  of  intention  of  carrying  it  to  a 
murderous  or  felonious  extent ;  but  the  facts  appear  to  be 
that,  on  Wednesday  afternoon  late,  he  made  a  violent 
harangue,  and,  as  Gibbon  says,  '  his  peroration  was  pecu- 
liarly eloquent,'  because  he  concluded  by  giving  the  butchers 
a  30  shilling  note  to  drink  whiskey,  which  they  accordingly 
did,  and  in  about  half  an  hour  the  butchers  appeared  in 
the  streets  in  a  formidable  state  indeed,  because,  although 
their  number  was  not  great,  they  were  armed  with  long 
knives  and  hatchets.  This,  of  course,  created  the  utmost 
terror  and  dismay.  I  do  not  think  that  more  than  two 
persons  were  cut.  It  became  necessary  to  call  out  the 
garrison.  The  butchers  were  put  to  flight,  six  or  seven  of 
them  lodged  in  gaol,  and  a  charge  was  exhibited  against 
— ,  of  having  instigated  the  riot,  before  Major  Vignolles, 
whose  conduct  on  this,  as  on  many  other  occasions  during 
the  elections,  deserves  the  highest  praise.  Having  thus 
failed  in  every  attempt,  and  Major  McNamara  having  a 
majority  of  more  than  500,  and  Mr.  M.  O'Connell  a 
majority  of  104,  he  was  driven  to  desperation.  He  attacked 
Major  McNamara  in  the  streets,  called  him  all  manner  of 
abusive  names.  The  Major  heard  him  with  silent  con- 


1881  THE  KNIGHT   OF  KERRY  BEATEN  265 

tempt.  There  was  an  immediate  meeting  of  the  friends  of 
the  Major,  who  at  once  decided  that  he  was  not  only 
not  to  have  any  message  sent  to  him  for  his  unprovoked 
insult,  but  he  was  not  even  to  be  prosecuted,  but  was 
to  be  treated  with  total  contempt  and  disregard.  So  ends 
his  career.  .  .  .  Such  then  is  the  result  of  this  mad 
campaign ;  but  what  else  would  you  expect  from  a  man 
who  has  acted  the  part  he  has  ?  He  cannot  do  any  more 
mischief.  In  future  he  will  be  perfectly  harmless. 
Believe  me  always, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

P.S. has  resigned.    I  have  instituted  a  prosecution 

against  his  brother.  I  am  a  trustee  for  the  public,  and 
cannot  allow  any  man  to  carry  an  election  by  sheer  violence, 
or  to  make  a  second  election  by  what  would  be  assassination. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Tralee  :  15th  May,  1831. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  enclose  you  two  cheques,  one  for 
a  £400  bill,  the  other  for  a  bill  of  £82  10s.  due  about  the 
17th.  Enquire  at  the  bank  of  La  Touche  for  a  bill  of 
mine  for  that  amount  from  the  Limerick  branch. 

I  make  no  apology  to  you,  my  dear  friend,  for  all  this 
trouble.  Indeed  it  would  be  paying  you  a  bad  compliment 
not  to  be  convinced  of  the  alacrity  with  which  you  would 
take  trouble  for  me. 

You  have  heard  of  the  glorious  result  of  our  Kerry 
Election.  We  compleatly  defeated  the  Knight.  Perhaps 
there  never  was  known  a  stronger  instance  of  popular  deter- 
mination. The  aristocrats,  as  is  usual,  considered  the 
county  as  their  own,  but  the  people  willed  otherwise.2 
The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  this  town  were  the  principal 
agents  in  emancipating  the  county.  My  Committee  took 

2  In  1831  Daniel  O'Connell  and  Fitzgerald,  Knight  of  Kerry,  and 
Frederick  W.  Mullins  were  returned  Hon.  William  Browne,  brother  of 
for  Kerry  in  the  room  of  Maurice  Lord  Kenmare. 


266    COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 

up  Mr.  Mullins,3  and  from  that  moment  his  election  became 
secure. 

Will  you  send  to  a  Charity  Society  at  No.  25  Patrick 
Street  to  say  that  I  will  be  able  to  preside  at  their  dinner 
on  Monday,  the  23rd  inst.,  if  that  day  answers  their  pur- 
pose.4 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

On  June  12  the  House  of  Commons  reassembled  after 
the  General  Election,  and  twelve  days  later  the  Eeform  Bill 
was  again  introduced  by  Lord  John  Kussell. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Merrion  Square  :  28th  May,  1831. 

My  Lord, — I  beg  of  you  to  be  so  good  as  to  let  me  know 
how  soon  we  shall  be  wanted.  I  trust  we  are  to  have  a  new 
Speaker.  If  I  may  give  my  private  opinion,  but  one  very 
general  in  this  country,  much  dissatisfaction  would  be  created 
by  continuing  Mr.  Manners  Sutton.  Indeed,  your  enemies 
would  attribute  it  to  a  timid  subserviency,  or  something  not 
so  good ;  whilst  I  believe  all  independent  men — I  mean, 
men  unconnected  with  Ministry — are  extremely  offended 
with  the  conduct  of  the  late  Speaker.  Mr.  Lyttleton  has  been 
spoken  of.  There  may  be  nothing  in  the  report,  but  I  believe 
his  appointment  would  give  general  satisfaction.  At  all 
events,  by  your  taking  the  trouble  to  let  me  know,  I  think 
I  can  promise  you  the  attendance  of  the  two  members  for 
Kerry,  and  the  two  members  for  Clare,  to  vote  for  any  new 
Speaker.5  .  .  . 

The  state  of  Clare  is  very  very  bad.6     The  poorest  class 

3  Latterly  known  as  De  Moleyns.  which  it  appears  that  a  claim  had 
A  branch  of  this  family  is  now  en-  been  made   by  Lord   Duncannon's 
nobled  by  the  Peerage  of  Ventry.  department  against  the  then   High 

4  When    public   meetings    were  Sheriff  of  Kerry,  a  tenant  of  Crown 
prohibited  by  proclamation,  O'Con-  lands.    His  rent  had  fallen  into  con- 
nell  expressed  his  right  of  speaking  siderable  arrear  ;  but  money  would 
at  charity  dinners  and  breakfasts.  be  soon  forthcoming,  and  O'Connell 
His  speech  appeared  in  the   news-  requested  a  suspension  for  one  fort- 
papers  and  served  a  political  purpose.  night  of  all  hostile  proceedings. 

5  A  long  statement  follows,  from  6  As  it  is  at  this  day. 


1831  THE  FREEMAN'S  JOUBNAL  '  267 

have  got  the  masterhood,  and  even  the  small  farmers  are 
now  enduring  an  atrocious  tyranny.  I  go  down  again 
before  my  return  to  London,  and  will  either  assist  in  a 
pacification  or  satisfy  myself  upon  the  necessity  of  harsher 
measures. — I  have  the  honour  to  be,  my  Lord, 

Your  Lordship's  most  obedient  Servant, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

(Private.)  London  :  Saturday,  July  2nd,  1831. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  intended  to  send  you  a  letter  to  the 
People  of  Ireland  on  Stanley's  humbug  '  improvements  '  in 
the  Irish  Eeform  Bill,  but  I  was  invited  by  a  mutual  friend  to 
a  conference  on  this  subject  with  Lord  Althorp,  and  until 
that  is  over  it  would  not  be  delicate  or  proper  to  discuss 
the  matter  with  the  public.  Of  course  you  will  see  that 
the  fact  of  such  intended  conference  is  not  to  be  published. 

I  got  a  letter  this  day  from  Staunton,  breaking  off  the 
compromise  with  Lavelle.7  I  am  sorry  for  it.  I  told 
Lavelle  of  Staunton's  determination,  and  learned  from  him 
that  he  had  written  to  his  editor,  reproaching  him  strongly 
for  the  attack  of  which  Staunton  complains.  Of  course, 
after  having  been  engaged  as  arbitrator,  I  can  not  be 
counsel  for  either  party,  and  in  fact  I  would  not.  There  was 
a  retainer  left  at  my  house  by  Lavelle's  Attorney,  but  I 
returned  it  to  himself.  I  hope  I  will  get  the  first  Keform 
Bill  modified — indeed  I  expect  it — but  we  shall  owe  very 
little  to  the  Ministry  on  that  account,  or  on  any  other.  You 
will  see  by  the  papers  a  short  sketch  of  the  various  battles 
I  was  engaged  in  last  night.  But,  after  all,  the  most 
important  was  the  last,  that  on  the  Arms  Bill.  It  is  an 
atrocious  Act,  but  one  which,  I  trust,  we  will  defeat,  There 
is  not  one  single  measure  of  utility  to  Ireland  proposed, 
or  to  be  proposed,  by  this  Ministry,  save  lending  us  money 
to  be  repaid  with  interest,  after  being  laid  out  in  Grand 

7  Mr.  Patrick   Lavelle  was  pro-       at  this  time  for  publishing  inflam- 
prietor   of  the   Freeman's  Journal.      matory  letters  from  O'Connell. 
Various  newspapers  were  prosecuted 


268    COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    OH.  vn. 

Jury  Jobbing.  Tlte  Arms  Bill,  if  passed,  would  just  come 
to  this — that  whilst  the  Orange  Yeomanry  got  arms  from 
Government,  the  people  were  to  be  deprived  of  all  means 
of  preventing  their  throats  from  being  cut  with  impunity; 
but  I  believe  it  will  never  pass.  The  public  opinion  here 
is  very  decided  against  the  Irish  Yeomanry,8  and,  indeed,  I 
believe  that  Lord  Anglesey  and  Stanley  will  be  compelled  to 
yield  to  the  indignant  sense  of  the  independent  English 
members.  In  the  meantime,  I  would  be  sorry  that  my 
friend  Staunton  committed  himself  as  a  supporter  of  the 
hair-brained  and  vain  Anglesey.  Believe  me,  we  have 
nothing  to  expect  from  him  or  Stanley,  save  under  the 
pressure  of  public  opinion. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London:  9th  July,  1831. 

I  have  not  time  to  write  to  you  on  politics,  but  you  will 
be  glad  to  hear  that  the  Beform  Bill  is  safe  for  England, 
and  must  be  improved  for  Ireland.  Stanley 9  is  less  self- 
conceited  since  I  knocked  up  his  Arms  Bill.  I  wish  that 
ridiculously  self-conceited  Lord  Anglesey  were  once  out  of 
Ireland.  I  take  him  to  be  our  present  greatest  enemy. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 
(Private.)  London :  llth  July,  ,/31. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  am  again  unable  to  write  my  ad- 
dress to  the  people.  I  was  this  day  at  the  Belfast  Harbour 
Committee,  where  nothing  was  done,  and  then  at  Lord 
Althorp's,  where  there  was  an  immense  meeting  of  Be- 
formers,  but  the  doing  of  business  was  altogether  interrupted 
by  that  stupid  Lord  Milton,  who  wants  to  deprive  lease- 
holders of  their  right  to  vote  under  the  Reform  Bill.  There 

*  The     Tithe     massacres     were  eight. 

mainly  chargeable  to  the  Irish  Yeo-  9  Eight  Hon.  E.   G.  S.  Stanley, 
manry,    and  the    outcry   that  was  Chief   Secretary  for   Ireland,   after- 
raised  ended   in  the  dissolution  of  wards  Earl  of  Derby, 
that  remnant  of  the  woes  of  'ninety- 


1831 


THE  REFORM  BILL 


269 


is  nothing  new ;  indeed,  my  thoughts  are  much  engrossed 
by  the  increasing  spirit  of  Anti-Unionism  manifesting  it- 
self in  Ireland.  We  certainly  shall  have  the  curse  of  '  poor 
Laws  '  else ;  if  the  Union  be  not  repealed,  you  will  have  all 
the  frightful  evils  and  much  of  the  horrible  immorality  of 
the  poor  Laws  introduced  into  Ireland.  How  blind  the 
Irish  gentry  and  merchants  are,  not  to  see  this  inevitable 
consequence  of  hanging  back  at  this  moment.  We  shall 
have  A.  B.  King's  grant  on  this  night.  I  mean  to  support 
him — for  which  I  shall,  of  course,  be  blamed.  To-morrow, 
the  fight  on  the  Eeform  Bill  will  practically  commence. 
Lord  Althorp,  at  the  meeting  this  day,  declared  explicitly 
that  the  Ministry  determined  to  carry  the  three  bills,  English, 
Scotch,  and  Irish,  through  both  houses  this  session. 
Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  18th  July,  1831. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Many,  many  thanks  for  a  fur- 
ther instance  of  your  kind  attention.  You  are,  in  fact, '  the 
friend  in  need,  who  is  really  the  friend  indeed.' 

For  the  present,  all  will  go  well  with  me  until  I  reach 
Ireland  early  in  September,  if  I  can  achieve  ^300.  .  .  . 

There  is  nothing  new,  but  great  commercial  distress  and 
difficulties.  My  own  opinion  is  that  they  must  come  to  a 
bankruptcy. 

The  Eeform  Bill  struggles  slowly  through  the  House. 
The  Coronation  measure  is  merely  as  an  excuse  to  make 
peers  in  order  to  hurry  the  bill  through  the  Lords.  The 
Earl  Grey  should  be  impeached  if  he  does  not  make  peers 
enough  to  secure  the  measure. 

We  are  beating  the  Gordons  nightly  in  the  House,  though 
the  reporters  omit  everything  Irish,  and  the  special  re- 
porters only  catch  from  '  men  say  '  a  shadow  of  what  has 
been  said  in  the  House.  They  do  not,  I  believe,  attend 
themselves  at  all.  If  what  has  been  said  of  Kildare  Street l 

1  The  Kildare  Place  Schools. 


270    COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' 'CONN 'ELL     CH.  vn. 

had  been  reported,  the  triumph  of  the  popular  party  would 
be  complete.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  entire  grant  for 
Kildare  Place  will  not  amount  to  one  half  the  usual  sum, 
and  that  the  residue  will  be  put  into  better  hands. 

I  am  most  anxious  for  facts  about  the  Yeomanry  on  the 
12th  of  July.2  Petitions  on  that  subject  would  be  most 
useful. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  27th  July,  1831. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  have  been  busily  employed  procuring 
the  fullest  attendance  possible  of  the  liberal  and  indepen- 
dent members  for  to-morrow  on  the  Dublin  Election  ballot.3 
I  believe  we  shall  have  as  fair  a  chance  as  possible  of  getting 
an  independent  and  honest  committee.  The  Kadicals  have 
promised  me  to  attend  numerously,  so  that  it  will  be  a 
mere  mischance  if  a  Tory  Committee  be  packed.  .  .  . 

The  Reform  Bill  creeps  on  slowly ;  we  cannot  come  to 
the  Irish  part  for  weeks  and  weeks.  But  I  have  the  plea- 
sure to  tell  you  that  the  feeling  in  favour  of  a  Local  Legis- 
lature in  Ireland  is  becoming  daily  more  favorable  here, 
and  the  day  is  fast  approaching  at  which  we  can  succeed  in 
carrying  that  measure  unless  it  be  our  own  fault.  Com- 
municate to  those  whom  it  may  concern,  and  who  have 
any  confidence  in  my  opinion.  This  is  my  deep  conviction, 
if  Ireland  be  but  partially,  that  is,  even  partially,  true  to 
herself,  she  can  secure  all  the  blessings  of  self-government. 
Everybody  should  by  degrees  prepare  for  that  event.  It  is, 
I  am  convinced,  the  only  thing  that  can  secure  the  connec- 
tion with  the  Crown  and  people  of  Great  Britain. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


-  The  anniversary  of  the  Battle 
of  the  Boyne  which  led  to  the  flight 
of  King  James— an  event  which  the 
Orange  yeomanry  rarely  failed  to 
celebrate. 


s  In  1831  Frederick  Shaw  and 
Viscount  Ingestre  were  returned 
for  the  City  of  Dublin.  In  1832 
0' Conn  ell  and  Ruthven  succeeded 
them. 


1831 


WOBK,   WORK,   WORK! 


271 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 
(Confidential.)  London  :  9th  August,  1831. 

My  dear  Friend, —  .  .  .  We  must  rally  and  not  allow  the 
scoundrel  Tories  to  carry  Dublin.  Perhaps  all  will  turn 
out  for  the  better.  The  present  plan  is  to  start  John  D. 
Latouche  and  Sergeant  O'Loghlen.4  If  Latouche  will  not 
come  forward,  why  then  we  must  have  Sir  John  Byng  as 
the  second  candidate.  But  O'Loghlen  is  certainly  to  be  one 
of  the  candidates.  Work,  work,  work.  Everybody  must 
work.  I  will  go  over  if  it  be  desired  or  desirable.  The  writ 
issues  this  day ;  by  to-morrow  week  the  election  may  com- 
mence. The  Ministry  have  been  guilty  of  such  drivelling 
folly  that  they  are,  at  length,  ashamed  of  themselves,  and 
are,  I  believe,  determined  to  meet  the  faction  with  vigour. 
Perrin 5  is  to  get  a  Borough.  They  will  not  be  content  to 
leave  him  out  of  Parliament.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  I  pant 
for  defeating  the  Anti-reformers  in  the  Corporation,  and  all 
the  old  tools  of  bigotry  and  corruption. 

There  should  be  an  independent  committee  formed.  It 
should  not  be  called  by  any  other  name,  save  some  equally 
general.  The  last  election  was  made  void  by  reason  of  the 
name  '  Perrin's  Committee.'  We  must  avoid  this  fault  in 
the  transaction.  The  use  of  thinking  of  the  past  is  merely 
to  correct  the  future.  Money  I  hope  and  believe  will  not  be 
wanting.  O'Loghlen  is  not  to  spend  one  shilling  of  his  own. 
In  short,  the  time  is  come  for  every  man  to  exert  himself. 
We  have  only  to  break  the  Shaw  party  in  the  Corporation, 
and  all  will  be  well.  I  doubt  whether  the  Tories  will  find 
it  easy  to  raise  money  enough  for  the  fight. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

(Private.)  London  :  21st  Sept.  1831. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  can  not  get  time  to  send  you  the 
amended  draft  of  the  resolutions  constituting  the  political 


4  Afterwards  Sir  Michael  O'Logh- 
len, the  first  Roman  Catholic  Master 
of  the  Rolls  since  the  reign  of  King 


James. 

5  Louis  Perrin,  afterwards  Judge 
of  the  King's  Bench. 


272     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL       CH.  n. 

character  of  the  Union  of  Trades.  I  am  desirous  of  be- 
coming a  member,  and  wish  to  put  the  Society  on  the  most 
clear  legal  grounds.  We  never  can  repeal  the  Union,  which 
every  day  becomes  more  and  more  pressing,  except  by  keep- 
ing quite  clear  of  any  illegality  whatsoever.  I  am,  however, 
obliged  to  spend  my  day  on  the  Malt  Drawbacks  Committee, 
and  you  see  that  the  House  sits  during  the  night.  I  hope 
in  a  day  or  two  to  be  able  to  send  you  the  regulations 
complete. 

To-morrow  Sir  John  Newport  and  I,  as  a  deputation 
from  the  Irish  members,  are  to  have  a  meeting  with  Lord 
Althorp,  Lord  John  Russell,  and  Stanley,  on  the  subject 
of  the  Irish  Reform  Bill.  It  is  very  very  bad  as  it  stands, 
but  I  hope  we  will  ameliorate  it.  I  will  let  you  know  the 
result. 

The  commotions  in  Paris  will,  I  hope  and  believe,  end 
favorably  for  the  cause  of  civil  liberty. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

[Fragment.]  Aug.  6,  1831. 

....  has  had  the  impudence  to  get  us  arrested.  There 
is  something  singularly  mischievous  in  every  proceeding 
of  his  Lordship.6 

The  war,  you  will  see,  is  actually  commenced.  In  one 
week  all  Europe  will  be  engaged  from  one  end  to  the  other. 
I  believe  it  to  be  the  last  struggle  between  Despotism  and 
Liberty.  This  will  be  the  time  to  speak  out ;  and  I  have 
no  notion  of  bating  my  breath.  I,  for  one,  will  speak  out. 
England  will,  I  trust,  join  the  friends  of  freedom,  and,  if  so, 
Ireland  will  join  her  heart  and  hand  :  PROVIDED  ALWAYS,  as 
we  lawyers  say,  that  justice  is  in  the  first  place  done  to 
Ireland.  We  must  not  trust  to  promises.  A  domestic 
parliament,  an  absentee  rate,  an  arrangement  of  Church 
property — these  are  the  sine  qua  non  of  our  assistance.  My 
heart  beats,  and  my  spirits  are  light,  notwithstanding  the 

6  Lord  Anglesey. 


1831  PETITIONING   THE  PEERS  273 

Dublin  defeat.  Perhaps  it  is  all  for  the  better.  It  will 
shew  that  Lord  Anglesey  can  meddle  in  Irish  affairs  only 
to  spoil  them. 

Let  every  possible  preparation  be  made  for  a  new  con- 
test for  Dublin.     Let  us  give  them  a  contest  at  all  events. 
Believe  me  always,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

London  :  17th  Sept.  1831. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  got  your  letter  with  the  rules  of  the 
Trades  Union.  I  approve  of  them  generally,  but  will  add 
some  to  make  them  more  efficient  and  more  legal.  In  the 
meantime,  I  write  to  urge  the  propriety  of  getting  petitions 
to  the  House  of  Lords  in  favour  of  the  Eeform  Bill.  I  think 
every  parish  in  Dublin,  as  well  as  my  friends  of  the  Trades 
Union,  should  petition  strongly  the  Lords  for  the  bill.  Use 
respectful  language,  but  threaten  them  as  strongly  as  you 
can  without  direct  menace ;  that  is,  foresee  the  effects  of 
refusing  the  reform.  Set  about  this  as  speedily  as  possible  ; 
it  is  material  that  we  should  pour  upon  that  House  the  full 
vial  of  popular  determination.  I  therefore  urge  all  my 
friends  to  petition  as  speedily  as  possible. 

We  are  at  length  beginning  to  press  the  Irish  Govern- 
ment out  of  their  Orange  connections. 

My  opinion  is  that  the  Irish  distillers  will  get  no  relief. 
The  Committee  is  so  constituted,  and  the  Excise  Board  is  so 
adverse,  that  I  think  we  have  little  chance  of  success. 
Ireland  can  not  work  without  an  Irish  parliament. 

Yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Commit  your  petitions  to  Lords  Grey,  Brougham,  King 
(to  choose),  Kadnor,  Shrewsbury,  Cloncurry,  &c.  &c. 


VOL.    I. 


274     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN  ELL    CH.  vn. 


To  Richard  Barrett. 
(Confidential.)  London :  5th  Oct.  1831. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  have  suffered  a  good  deal  in  health 
for  the  last  three  weeks,  so  as  to  be  unable  to  sit  late  in 
the  House.  I  am,  however,  now  quite  restored,  and  have 
the  usual  accompaniment  of  convalescence — an  enormous 
appetite. 

The  Lords  will,  I  think,  to  a  certainty  throw  out  the 
bill ;  so  that  I  expect  to  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you 
ivithin  the  next  ten  days.  They  are  mad,  stark  mad,  to 
dare  to  fly  in  the  face  of  popular  sentiment  and  popular  in- 
dignation. I  do  think  we  shall  live  to  see  the  hereditary 
peerage  abolished  in  England.7 

[Three  pages  lost.] 

London :  5th  Oct.  1831. 

I  care  not  which.  His  feelings  are  all  anti-Irish,  his  entire 
turn  of  mind  is  bent  to  the  protection  of  all  existing  abuses ; 
he  would  grieve  if  he  had  been  compelled  to  give  any  sub- 
stantial relief  to  any  real  friend  of  the  country. 

Lord  Anglesey  is  holding  mock  levees.  Poor  Lord 
Cloncurry  is  so  enamoured  of  the  Welsh  dignitary  that  he 
forgets  poor  Ireland.  There  is  nothing  in  nature  perhaps 
more  ludicrous  than  to  contrast  Lord  Cloncurry's  conduct 
now  with  that  which  he  adopted  three  years  ago.  At  that 
time  he  wished  to  throw  into  the  great  excitement  of  the 
Catholic  question  the  still  greater  excitement  of  the  Eepeal 
of  the  Union.  Now  he  writes  about  our  great  excitement, 
forsooth  !  Pah  !  these  are  not  times  for  such  paltry  sneak- 
ing from  the  assertion  of  the  people's  rights.  The  people 
should  be  prepared  by  the  press  for  the  line  of  conduct  to 
be  pursued.  As  soon  as  I  arrive  in  Dublin  I  will  begin 
with  a  public  breakfast.  The  last  was  put  down  by  a 
proclamation ;  the  next  can  defy  any  attack.  One  or  two 

7  On  October  7,  Lord  Wharn-  six  months.  190  supported  him; 
cliffe  moved  an  amendment — that  against,  158 ;  and  on  October  19, 
the  Reform  Bill  be  read  that  day  1831,  Parliament  was  prorogued. 


1831 


THE  ATTORNEY-GENERALSHIP 


275 


public  breakfasts  will  give  a  tone  to  the  public  mind.  My 
fifth  letter  on  the  Union  may  be  a  further  stimulant.  We 
will  form  a  society  to  look  to  the  registry  of  freeholds  in 
each  county.  We  will  see  how  many  anti-Unionists  we  can 
bring  into  action  in  each  county.  The  course  of  proceeding 
must  be  the  preparing  petitions  from  each  county.  An 
anti-Union  rent  must  be  instituted  and  everything  done. 

The  Carrickfergus  Disfranchisement  Bill  will  be  post- 
poned until  next  session.  It  is  not  possible  to  get  it  through 
the  Lords  during  the  present.  There  will  not  be  any  new 
writs  issued  to  that  borough.8  You  may  rely  on  it,  that  the 
Government  will  put  down  the  Orange  magistracy. 

Strictly,  strictly  private,  and  most  confidential.  I  COULD 
be  Attorney  General — in  one  hour. 

Yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Among  the  troubles  of  this  year  was  a  threatened  cessa- 
tion of  tax-paying. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 
(Private.)  London :  Oct.  8th  [1831]. 

My  dear  Barrett, — The  Lords  have  had  the  audacity 
to  throw  out  the  Bill.9  So  much  the  better.  The  sensation 
is  powerful,  and  the  public  sentiment  will  make  itself  be 
heard.  The  Ministry  are  determined  not  to  resign.  They  are 
also  determined  to  make  a  distinction  between  their  friends 
and  their  enemies.  To  begin  with  the  War  Office.  Lord 
Hill  refused  to  vote.  He  will  be  dismissed.  The  Lord 


8  This  was  due  to  the  report  of  a 
committee  which  had  examined  the 
signatures  to  a  petition  against  the 
return  of  Lord  Arthur  Hill.     It  was 
stated  that  fourteen   out  of  thirty 
had  been  forged  by  J.  M.  Eccleston 
and  Hutchinson  Posnett. 

9  Though  Brougham, '  on  bended 
knees,'   as  he   said,   had   besought 
them  to  pass  the  Reform  Bill. 

Sir    R.    Vyvian    led    the    anti- 
Reformers  in  the  Commons.      For- 


merly he  was  surrounded  by  the 
county  representatives  of  England. 
In  time  they  vanished  and  were  suc- 
ceeded by  Reformers.  Vyvian  with 
desperate  resignation  sat  almost 
alone,  but  made  a  religious  attack 
on  O'Connell.  The  latter,  amidst 
much  laughter,  described  him  as — 
'  The  last  rose  of  summer  left  bloom- 
ing alone; 

All    his    lovely    companions    bav 
faded  and  gone.' 


276    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  vn. 

Lieuts.  of  Counties  even  will  be  discarded.  Every  enemy  will 
be  turned  out.  In  Ireland  a  similar  course  is  determined  on, 
and  the  Tyndals  and  other  enemies  in  the  paltry  corpora- 
tion will  be  forthwith  dealt  with  by  an  unsparing  hand. 

The  conduct,  the  foolish  conduct  of  Lord  Anglesey  in 
Ireland  is  the  subject  of  universal  blame.  Between  him 
and  Stanley  they  have  just  contrived  to  do  all  that  they 
ought  not  to  do.  Lord  Anglesey  will  be  made  Commander- 
in-Chief  and  Stanley  will  be  promoted  off.  The  Marquis  of 
Westminster  is  likely  to  be  the  new  Lord  Lieut.,  and  Ellice 
of  the  Treasury  is  likely  to  be  the  Secretary. 

The  bishops  behaved  with  all  the  hate  of  liberty  for 
which  the  married  bishops  have  been  so  notorious.  Only 
think,  the  creature  that  the  Whigs  a  week  ago  made  bishop 
of  Worcester  refused  to  vote  with  them  !  Kyle,1  whom 
Lord  Anglesey  made  a  bishop,  of  course  voted  against 
them.  Lord  Caledon,  Lord  Enniskillen — in  short,  all 
governors  of  counties  made  by  them  the  other  day,  voted 
against  them.  There  has  been  this  day  a  large  meeting  of 
members  at  the  Thatched  House  tavern.  They  entered  into 
strong  resolutions  to  support  the  Ministry  and  to  enforce 
Eeform.  Hume  addressed  the  meeting  in  an  energetic 
speech.  He  condemned  the  trivial  policy  of  the  Whigs, 
their  unwise  plan  of  supporting  their  enemies  and  pro- 
moting them,  and  neglecting  their  friends.  He  insisted 
they  should  now  and  at  once  start  on  a  different  line  of 
policy.  He  was  loudly  cheered.  In  short,  the  game  is  up, 
and  the  Tories  must  be  put  down. 

The  parliament  is  to  be  prorogued  until  the  first  week 
in  December.  The  King  is  firm  and  will  create  peers  in 
abundance.  The  new  Bill  is  to  be  brought  into  the  Lords 
in  the  first  instance.  It  will  be  necessary  to  have  sixty  new 
peers ;  of  these  about  twenty-five  will  be  the  eldest  sons  of 
peers  called  up  by  writ.  These  will  not  make  any  perma- 
nent addition  to  the  peerage ;  the  other  thirty-five  will  be 
collected  in  various  parts  of  the  three  kingdoms. 

1  Dr.   Kyle,   Provost   of   Trinity      had  just  been  appointed  Bishop  of 
College,  Dublin,  an  undecided  TorJi       Cork. 


1831  MASSACRE  AT  NEWTOWNBABSY  277 

In  the  meantime  there  will  be  a  cessation  of  tax-paying. 
The  Painters  in  London  are  already  summoned  to  meet. 
The  placards  are  surrounded  with  black ;  everything  is  to 
be  in  mourning.  If  the  English  be  true  to  themselves  they 
must  trample  over  the  scoundrel  Aristocracy. 

Expect  to  see  me  about  Tuesday  week,  not  Master  of  the 
Eolls,  nor  Sir  Daniel,  but  honest  and  true  and  your  sincere 
friend, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Merrion  Square,  Dublin :  19th  Oct.  1831. 

My  dear  Lord, — I  am  rejoiced  to  be  able  to  tell  you  that 
I  found  the  popular  mind  here  easy  to  be  managed  and 
directed  so  as  to  aid  the  cause  of  Keform,  and  nothing  but 
Eeform,  until  the  bill  is  carried.  But  the  state  of  things 
may  be  rendered  worse  than  precarious  unless  the  pro- 
mised change  of  System  immediately  commences.  The 
government  is,  in  point  of  fact,  as  essentially  anti-Irish 
and  Orange  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Peel  or  Goulburn. 
At  least  such  is  the  public  opinion  ;  and  allowing,  as  I 
readily  do,  that  the  intentions  of  the  Ministry  are  good,  of 
what  value  is  that  when  all  their  appointments  are  almost 
without  exception  from  the  ranks  of  their  present  and 
continued  enemies  ? 

It  must  be  recollected  that  the  present  Ministry 2  are  now 
more  than  ten  months  in  office,  and  as  yet  they  have  not 
done  any  one  service  to  Ireland.  The  causes  of  complaint, 
on  the  other  hand,  are  many,  and  the  giant  sin  of  rearming 
the  Yeomanry  is  recorded  in  letters  of  blood.3 

In  short,  the  time  should  be  come  for  a  change  of  System. 
The  past  may  easily  be  buried  in  oblivion  if  means  are  taken 
to  satisfy  the  people  of  Ireland  that  some  practical  good  may 
be  expected.  But  if  it  be  imagined  that  it  is  safe  to  delay 

2  Earl   Grey's,  which  came  into  in   1798 ;   and   on   June  18,   1831, 
office  November  22,  1830.  by  shooting  on  the  people  at  New- 

3  The   Yeomanry  had   acquired  townbarry,  when  thirty -five  persons 
notoriety  for  their  sanguinary  deeds  fell. 


278      COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 

and  to  postpone  giving  proofs  of  a  change,  all  I  can  say  is 
that  those  who  so  think  will  find  themselves  sadly  mistaken. 

I  do  not  conceive  what  part  of  the  Ministry  it  is  that 
refuses  to  allow  a  liberal  and  popular  plan  of  governing 
Ireland.  Who  are  they  that  cling  to  the  miserable  system 
of  allowing  a  faction  all  the  benefits  of  domination  and 
patronage  in  Ireland?  It  is,  indeed,  quite  unintelligible 
to  me  why  we  should  have  a  Whig  Ministry  now  twelve 
months,  or  nearly,  in  office,  and  yet  the  Tory  system  and 
the  Tory  men  are  all  powerful  in  this  unhappy  country. 

I  wish  to  stand  fair  in  your  opinion,  and  I  beg  of  you 
to  recollect  for  me  hereafter  that  I  can  now  pledge  myself 
that  if  the  Government  will  act  with  vigour  on  their  own 
principles,  Ireland  will  be  a  source  of  strength  and  comfort 
to  them ;  but  if  they  omit  the  present  favorable  oppor- 
tunity of  commencing  to  be  friendly  to  their  friends,  and 
ceasing  to  show  partiality  to  their  enemies,  it  will  be  dis- 
covered that  Ireland  cannot  be  deluded  or  managed  under 
such  circumstances.  It  is  said  that  the  Ministers  are 
afraid  of  the  Orange  party ;  that  they  have  not  the 
courage  to  avow  a  determination  to  discountenance  that 
faction.  If  that  be  so,  the  result  will  be  most  unhappy, 
and  indeed  ridiculous,  because  there  never  yet  was  a  senti- 
ment of  fear  more  unfounded.  The  real  terror  should  be 
of  offending  and  insulting  the  Irish  nation  at  large.  But  I 
fear  I  weary  you. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Merrion  Square  :  27th  Nov.  1831. 

My  Lord, — I  very  much  deplore  that  any  circumstances 
should  occur  to  prevent  your  standing  for  Kilkenny  County, 
but  I  cannot  venture  to  dispute  the  decision  you  have  come 
to,  connected  as  you  are  with  the  Government,  because  it 
would  have  been  impossible,  but  for  that  connection,  to 
separate  the  people  from  you.  What  a  pity  it  is  that  you 
should  be  the  victim  of  Lord  Anglesey's  want  of  intellect, 


1831 


LORD   GEETS  MISTAKES 


279 


and  of  Mr.  Stanley's  insane  presumption — you,  I  will  say, 
naturally  the  most  popular  person  that  ever  belonged  to 
the  party  of  the  Whigs ;  you,  whom  everybody  esteems  and 
respects  ;  you,  to  whom  the  Catholics  owe  a  debt  of  grati- 
tude, and  in  whose  personal  qualities  everybody  places 
unlimited  confidence. 

It  is  really  cruel  that  Lord  Grey  will  still  refuse  to 
understand  the  mischiefs  of  handing  Ireland  over  to  men 
who  govern  by  the  Attorney-General — by  a  vile  Tory  attor- 
ney-general, and  place  the  Government  in  the  odious  situ- 
ation of  a  common  Informer  chuckling  over  the  verdicts 
they  get  and  gloating  over  exacted  penalties.  I  wish  I 
could  have  the  honour  and  satisfaction  of  half  an  hour's 
conversation  with  you.  Lord  Anglesey  and  Mr.  Stanley 
have  made  the  people  of  Ireland  Eepealers.  They  will,  if 
they  remain,  make  them  Separatists.  In  six  months  the 
connection  between  the  two  countries  will  have  to  be  main- 
tained by  armed  force,  unless  Anglesey  and  Stanley  be 
removed  and  the  Attorney-General  cashiered.4 

I  have  had  an  intimation  from  Nottingham  that  you 
were  to  stand  for  that  City,  and  you  will  smile  at  hearing 
that  I  have  been  called  on  for  your  character.  What  a 
strange  resolution  !  as  if  you  were  not  yourself,  although 
belonging  to  the  nobility,  a  more  sincere  and  practical 
reformer  than  any  one  member  of  this  political  Union. 

When  the  Irish  Parliament  meets  there  is  this  conso- 
lation, that  nothing  can  deprive  you  of  the  representation 
of  Kilkenny  save  your  taking  your  seat  in  the  House  of 
Lords. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Lord  Duncannon  to  O'Connell. 
(Private.)  Brighton :  Nov.  28,  1831. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  saw  the  Chancellor 5  this  morning,  and 
he  tells  me  that,  in  a  speech  of  yours,  you  mention  the 
probability  of  your  not  being  at  the  meeting  of  Parliament. 

4  Mr.  Blackburne.  5  Lord  Brougham. 


280    COREESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON  NELL    CH.  vn. 


Now  I  need  not  assure  you  how  necessary  your  presence 
here  will  be,  nor  how  great  a  triumph  your  absence  would 
give  to  the  opponents  of  the  Eeform  Bill.  I  do  hope  you 
will  come  over  to  us,  and  give  us  your  powerful  support, 
and  that  you  will  ensure  as  much  attendance  as  possible 
from  other  Irish  members.  I  am  sure  if  you  had  been 
here  you  would  have  seen  that  one  of  the  great  engines 
made  use  of  against  the  meeting  was  that  the  Irish  mem- 
bers would  not  come.  Now  this  I  have  always  expected 
would  not  be  the  case,  and  I  should  therefore  be  most  morti- 
fied if  we  were  now  left  without  that  assistance.  The 
meeting  I  hold  to  have  been  absolutely  necessary;  the 
country  requires  it,  and  it  would  have  been  considered  an 
abandonment  if  it  had  been  postponed.  It  is  indeed  most 
inconvenient  to  many,  particularly  those  at  such  a  distance, 
but  you  and  they  have  given  it  heretofore  a  most  disin- 
terested support,  and  I  confidently  hope  you  will  continue  it. 
Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir,  &c., 

DUNCANNON. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Merrion  Square  :  4th  Dec.  1831. 

My  Lord,— I  owe  you  two  or  three  letters,  but  I  must 
candidly  say  I  do  not  know  hoiv  to  write  to  you.  I  have 
too  sincere  a  respect  for  you  personally  to  desire  or  intend 
to  write  anything  offensive  or  even  unkind,  but  I  can  not 
speak  of  the  Government  to  which  you  are  attached  without 
expressing  myself  with  a  strength  of  dislike  and  abhorrence 
which  it  is  painful  to  me  to  address  to  you. 

As  to  the  Lord  Chancellor  of  England,6  I  do  really  and 
sincerely  hold  him  in  the  highest  estimation.  I  believe 
veneration  would  not  be  an  unsuitable  word.  Such  a 
man  has  not  been  in  his  high  office  since  the  days  of  the 
martyr  Sir  Thomas  More.  May  he  too  not  become  a 
political  martyr  to  the  drivelling  folly  and  insulting 
obstinacy  of  his  colleagues  with  regard  to  the  offences  of 


6  Lord  Brougham  held  the  Great 
Seal  from  Nov.  1830  to  Nov.  1834. 


His  consistent  support  of  the  Catho- 
lic claims  earned  O'Connell's  eulogy. 


1831 


LOBD  EBRINGTON 


281 


Ireland,  a   country   too   wise  to  be   deluded,    and,   I 
add,  too  strong  to  be  insulted  for  a  continuance  with  im- 
punity ? 

I  can  have  your  testimony  to  my  readiness  to  act  on 
Lord  Ebrington's  views,7  and  to  assist  the  Ministry  in  re- 
conciling them  to  Ireland  and  Ireland  to  them.  I  need  not 
Bay  that  I  would  not  sacrifice  my  principles,  nor  unneces- 
sarily part  with  my  popularity,  but  I  did  think  that  Lord 
Ebrington  spoke  advisedly,  and  that  therefore  my  principles 
would  be  adopted  in  the  management  of  Ireland,  and  my 
popularity  transferred  to  the  King  and  the  King's  govern- 
ment. So  far  I  was  not  only  ready  to  assist,  but  I  did 
assist ;  for  on  my  arrival  here  I  found  a  formidable  Anti- 
Union  organization  compleat,  called  The  Trades'  Union, 
headed  by  a  man  of  popular  qualifications,  and  capable,  I 
fear,  of  misleading.  I  took  them  out  of  his  hands.  I  not 
only  turned  them,  but  I  can  say  I  turned  the  attention  of 
the  rest  of  the  country  from  the  overpowering  question  of 
the  Repeal  to  the  suitable  one  of  Reform,  and  I  actually  kept 
matters  in  suspense  in  this  state  for  about  a  month  after 
my  arrival. 

It  was  just  the  time  to  carry  Lord  Ebrington's  promise — 
for  such  we  considered  it — into  effect.  It  was  the  interval 
of  perfect  unanimity  in  which  a  kindly  government  would 
anxiously  desire  to  proffer  measures  of  conciliation  to  the 
Irish  nation.  It  was  a  breathing  time  which  a  wise 
Government  would  gladly  lay  hold  of  to  begin  the  promulga- 
tion and  practice  of  those  measures  which  would  reconcile 
the  Irish  nation  to  their  policy.  But  no,  not  the  least  word 
was  thrown  out  of  any  plan  of  utility,  of  conciliation,  of 
punishment  of  the  blood-stained  murderers  of  the  people, 
or  of  dismissal  of  their  enemies.  I  will  not  dilate  on  these 
topics,  but  I  will  remind  you  that  I  made  my  complaint  in 
a  letter  to  you,  and  in  another  to  Mr.  Hume.  I  know  the 


7  Viscount  Ebrington,  LL.D., 
F.E.S.,  became  Lord-Lieutenant  of 
Ireland,  and  while  filling  that  post 
succeeded  his  father  in  the  peerage 
of  Fortescue.  He  had  been  previously 


connected  with  Ireland  by  his 
marriage  with  the  daughter  of  Piers 
Geale,  Esq.,  and  relict  of  Sir  Marcus 
Somerville,  Bart. 


282    COBBE8PONDENCE   of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 

latter  reached  the  Chancellor  and  Prime  Minister.  But 
were  my  complaints  on  the  part  of  the  Irish  people  attended 
to? 

Yes,  they  were,  thus.  Mr.  Stanley,  who  has  rendered 
himself  more  odious  than  any  other  man  who  ever  assisted 
in  the  misgovernment  of  Ireland — Mr.  Stanley,  the  snappish, 
impertinent,  overbearing  high  Church  Mr.  Stanley,  Mr. 
Stanley  of  Crimes  Bill  notoriety,  who  spoke  of  the  '  tried 
loyalty '  of  the  Orange  Yeomanry,  was  sent  over  again  to  be 
chief  and  only  real  governor.8  It  is  idle  to  conceal  it :  Mr. 
Stanley  MUST  be  put  out  of  the  government  of  Ireland. 
This  you  will  call  dictation ;  and  it  is  so,  but  it  is  dictation 
only  to  this  extent :  Mr.  Stanley  must  leave  Ireland,  or  the 
ministry  must  expect  to  lose  the  support  of  the  Irish 
members.  I  make  one  of  six,  at  the  least,  who  would  be 
in  London  on  the  first  day  of  the  session,  and  every  day 
after  supporting  Earl  Grey,  if  Stanley  had  been  promoted 
off,  out  of  his  present  situation.  I  say  six,  because  so 
many  have  actually  put  themselves  into  my  hands.  If  I, 
however,  said  twelve  and  went  on  to  twenty,  perhaps  I 
would  be  nearer  the  truth.  I  know  how  easy  it  is  for  the 
friends  of  Earl  Grey  in  England  to  assume  the  mock 
heroic,  and  to  bravely  exclaim  against  dictation.  But  all 
that  is  folly.  The  People  of  Ireland  must  have  a  party  to 
support  their  interests ;  that  party  can  not  certainly  be  the 
Tories.  Alas !  it  is  not  the  "Whigs.  Who  are  to  be  the 
friends  of  Ireland  ?  We  must  form — I  am  forming — an  Irish 
party — a  party  without  religious  distinction.  I  am  hi  this 
more  successful  than  I  could  anticipate. 

I  worry  you,  I  fear.  My  opposition  to  Mr.  Stanley 
is  founded  on  this — my  experience  and  conviction  of  his 
principles  and  practice  with  respect  to  Ireland.  The  Sub- 
letting Act  must  be  repealed  ;  he  hangs  on  to  that  Act.  The 
Vestry  laws  must  be  abolished ;  he  clings  to  the  system — 
that  is,  the  right  of  Protestants  to  have  Catholics  and  Dis- 
senters pay  for  their  churches,  chapels,  sacramental  ele- 

8  Mr.  Secretary  Stanley  had  a  Beat      more  powerful  personage  than  the 
in  the  Cabinet,  and  was  therefore  a      Viceroy,  Lord  Anglesey. 


1  THE  WHIGS  HAVE  DONE  NOTHING  FOR  IRELAND  '   283 

ments,  music,  the  washing  of  their  church  linen  and  the 
matting  of  the  church  floors,  &c.  &c.  The  Grand  Jury  laws 
must  be  amended — that  he  admits — but  he  clings  to  the 
principle  of  nomination  of  Grand  Juries,  the  rotten  borough 
system.  Ireland  insists  on  parochial  election  of  those  who 
are  to  lay  on  county  taxes.  I  could  write  a  volume  on  the 
contrast  between  him  and  Ireland.  One  word  will  do — 
TYTHES.  He  says  they  are  as  sacred  as  private  property. 
Ireland  insists  on  their  being  abolished. 

Again,  has  he  consulted  one  single  Irish  member  on  the 
Irish  Eeform  Bill  ?  I  have  an  idea  that  you,  my  Lord,  are 
as  rigidly  excluded  as  I  am.  But  is  not  this  insulting  ? 
And  yet  Lord  Grey  and  his  Government  prefer  conciliating 
Mr.  Stanley  to  conciliating  Ireland  !  So  be  it. 

Again,  there  are  the  Lord  Lieuts.  of  Counties.  Vesey 
Fitzgerald  is  gone  to  Clare  to  organize  the  return  of  two 
Tories.  Lord  Wicklow  is  actively  doing  the  same  in 
Wicklow. 

Now  can  any  Administration  dare  to  ask  for  confidence 
from  friendly  persons  when  they  place  power  in  the  hands 
of  their  enemies — when  they  wantonly,  unnecessarily,  I 
would  say  contemptuously,  give  their  enemies  power  over 
those  who  desire  to  be  their  friends  ?  Be  it  so. 

The  Yeomanry — but  I  am  going  too  far.  Eecollect,  my 
Lord,  that  Lord  Killeen,9  at  the  Navan  dinner  last  week, 
said  just  what  I  do  :  '  The  Whigs  have  been  in  office  twelve 
months,  and  they  have  done  nothing  for  Ireland.' 

But  even  you  yourself,  with  all  your  undoubted  good 
wishes  for  Ireland — you  are  Lord  Lieut,  of  a  County — is 
there  one  delinquent  magistrate  dismissed  ?  The  toast 
drinkers ;  the  men  who  confined  a  wretch  for  months  for 
the  treason  of  singing  a  song  with  my  name  in  it ;  the 
protectors  of  the  Myshall  Corps  of  Yeomanry  in  all  their 
delinquencies.  Why  there  they  are  Parsons — beggars  and 
all — in  the  commission  of  the  peace.  Be  assured  that  I 
take  the  liberty  of  saying  this  solely  in  sorrow  and  without 
any  other  anger  than  what  arises  from  the  recollection  of 

9       terwards  Earl  of  Fingall,  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Meath. 


284    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON  NELL     CH.  vn. 

the  cold  cruelty  of  the  rest  of  the  administration  towards 
Ireland,  when  they  prevent  even  your  good  wishes  from 
developing  themselves  into  good  acts. 

I  remain  here  until  after  Christmas  as,  amongst  other 
reasons,  an  expression  of  my  just  resentment.  I  detain 
others  here  on  the  same  grounds.  We  will  go  over  with  all 
the  indignation  of  men  who  think  themselves  basely  used 
by  Lord  Grey's  Government.  As  to  poor  Lord  Anglesey,  he 
now  excites  only  compassion.  Lord  Plunket  excites  feelings 
of  a  different  but  not  more  favorable  nature.  His  equity 
bill  has  made  more  '  Eepealers '  than  ever  I  did. 

I  deem  it  a  duty  to  be  thus  candid  with  you,  that  you  at 
least  may  understand  that  there  is  but  one  way  of  govern- 
ing Ireland — that  is,  by  not  preferring  individuals  to  the 
people,  but  the  people  to  individuals.  Ireland  is  sinking 
into  decrepitude.  In  Cork,  in  three  of  the  parishes  alone, 
there  are  27,000  paupers  !  ! !  The  evil  of  absenteeism  is 
incurable  unless  there  be  a  beneficent  heart  and  firm  hand 
to  apply  the  proper  remedies.  And  in  such  a  state  of 
things  we  have  a  Ministry — bless  them  ! — who  prefer  an 
individual  and  the  gratification  of  his  pride  to  the  wishes 
and  wants  of  a  nation. 

I  have  written  disconnectedly  and  in  all  the  bitterness  of 
sorrow.  Lord  Ebrington  held  out  a  false  hope.  We  believed, 
and  have  been  deceived.  Now  that  he  has  been  falsified  we 
expect  acts  to  precede  promises.  The  dominion,  the  abso- 
lute controul  which  Stanley  exercises  over  Lord  Althorp  1 
shows  us  that  we  should  not  again  encourage  hope.  Strike 
off  the  Tory  Lord  Lieuts.  Turn  off  Lord  Lorton,  Lord 
Wicklow,  Lord  Forbes,2  Vesey  Fitzgerald — your  open 
enemies.  Give  these  counties  to  your  open  friends. 

But  it  is  time  I  should  relieve  you.  In  any  and  every 
event,  I  beg  of  you,  rny  Lord,  to  be  assured  of  the  personal 
respect  and  high  esteem  of,  &c.  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

1  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer. 

*  Father  of  the  present  Earl  of  Granard. 


1831 


THE    TITHE   QUESTION 


To  Lord  Duncannon. 


285 


Merrion  Square :  19th  Dec.  1831. 

My  Lord, — I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  early  in- 
formation you  gave  me  of  the  period  when  the  house  meets 
again.  I  intend  to  be  in  my  place. 

I  am  bound  to  tell  you  that  Mr.  Stanley  has  continued 
to  perform  that  miracle  which  was  supposed  quite  im- 
possible. He  has  united  all  the  inhabitants  of  Ireland  in 
opinion  upon  the  Tythe  question,  and  that  is,  in  unanimous 
execration  of  his  plan.  He  must  be  insane,  and  be  allowed 
to  amuse  his  madness  with  Irish  government.  But  I  am 
too  full  of  this  subject  to  be  able  to  write  upon  it.  Is  it 
possible  he  can  think  it  is  '  the  mode '  in  which  the  estab- 
lished church  is  paid,  and  not  '  the  payment '  itself,  that  has 
revolted  the  people  of  Ireland  !  That  it  is  a  mere  question 
of  manner,  and  not  of  matter.  Eeason  help  him. 

Indeed,  indeed,  I  much  fear  the  consequences  of  that 
deeprooted  conviction  which  is  spreading  far  and  wide,  that 
Ireland  is  not  only  to  be  treated  with  neglect,  but  with  pre- 
meditated and  stupid  contempt. 

In  everything  Irish  interests  are  treated  most  con- 
temptuously— in  the  excise,  in  the  customs,  in  the  Law,  in 
the  Eeform  ;  and  lastly,  the  tythes  are  to  be  mitigated  by 
giving  the  Parsons  the  dominion  of  the  soil. 

Quern  vult  perdere 

You,  my  Lord,  do  not  require  I  should  finish  the 
sentence. 

I  implore  your  kind  forgiveness  for  inflicting  my 
poignant  anxiety  on  you. 

Believe  me,  with  the  most  unfeigned  respect,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

A  break  occurs  in  the  correspondence  from  this  date 
until  February  7,  1832.  During  this  interval,  various 
overtures  were  made  to  induce  O'Connell  to  take  office. 
One  medium  of  communication  was  Bishop  Doyle. 

Several  letters  throwing  light  on  the  secret  history 
of  the  time,  and  addressed  by  Dr.  Doyle  to  Sir  Henry 


286    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN  ELL    CH.  vn. 

Parnell,  afterwards  Lord  Congleton,  were  some  years  ago 
kindly  placed  in  my  hands.  Between  Sir  Henry  and  Dr. 
Doyle  a  close  intimacy  existed.  The  baronet  represented 
one  of  the  counties  in  Dr.  Doyle's  diocese,  and  was  a  pro- 
minent figure  in  Whig  Administrations. 

'  I  think  it  will  be  hard  to  gain  O'Connell,'  writes  Dr. 
Doyle  on  October  10,  1831,  'for  he  is  more  popular  in 
Ireland  now  than  he  ever  was,  and  he  can,  if  he  please, 
get  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  pounds  from  the  country  on 
his  return.  This  popularity  and  emolument  are  more  than 
Ministers  can  offer  to  him ;  but  I  believe  the  man  is  honest, 
and  will  not  be  disposed  to  plunge  the  country  into  utter 
confusion  if  your  views  towards  him  be  acted  upon.  I  will 
write  to  him  to-morrow,  but  he  may  have  already  decided.' 

'  I  shall,  as  you  desire,  write  this  evening  to  Mr.  O'Connell,' 
writes  Dr.  Doyle  on  October  17,  1831.  '  He  will  be  in  the 
hands  of  the  agitators  even  before  my  letter  arrives ;  but 
this  moment  is  not  one  that  he  should  select  for  agitation, 
and  he  may  pause. 

'  My  application  to  him  was  more  successful  than  I 
anticipated,  but  finding  how  isolated  the  proposal  of  office 
was  made  to  him,  I  fully  agreed  with  him  that  it  should  be 
rejected.  Does  the  Government,  or  any  member  of  it,  sup- 
pose that,  seeing  their  acts  for  the  last  year,  we  can  expect 
a  change  if  they  hesitate  to  state,  however  confidentially, 
that  there  will  be  a  change,  and  to  what  extent  ?  Or  do 
they  imagine  we  are  such  simpletons  as  to  commit  ourselves 
with  a  bad  system,  cast  from  us  the  means  of  improvement 
which  we  possess,  and  render  ourselves,  for  base  lucre,  the 
by-word  of  the  age  ?  I  leave  home  for  two  or  three  weeks, 
and  will  remain  in  the  vicinity  of  Dublin.  I  intend  to 
pass  a  few  days  with  Blake,  who  is  a  depositary  of  all 
knowledge.  I  shall  not,  however,  inform  him  on  the  subject 
of  O'Connell.' 

This  was  the  Eight  Hon.  Anthony  Richard  Blake,  who 
during  successive  Whig  regimes  was  dryly  described  as  '  the 
back-stairs  Viceroy  of  Ireland.' 


HH  RrMOURED  PROMOTION 

Meanwhile  O'Conneffs  organ,  the  POot,  edited  by  Barrett, 
published  on  October  19, 1831,  a  paragraph  in  reference  to 

•;.-  ;  7.1 M;  -.  .  "  :  ;  ~__  ; " :    :.  :  — 

'Whether  accepted  or  rejected,  it  wfll  be  upon  very 
diffatait  motives  than  any  derived  from  personal  hate  or 
resentment — motives  unworthy  of  a  hlaifHnun  or  a  Chris- 
tian. For  the  same  reason  that  a  man  who  was  once  with 
the  people  deserves  censure  if  he  afterwards  oppresses  or 
4ttwrt*i  them,  so  «hnnM  a,  repentant  tatmtr  be  taken  back 
to  public  favour ;  and  the  man  who  would  resent  past  faults, 
should  there  be  a  determination  to  do  present  good,  would 
be  unfit  to  be  trusted  with  the  Andmi^g  of  a  *••*»*••  No 
statesman  or  patriot  would  act  upon  such  a  principle — none 
but  a  deist  or  a  demon  would  urge  it.  If  O'Connefl  refuses 
^ffi^ft,  iHTffrmTi1  or  poffi***!  resentment  wfll  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  refusal;  and  if  he  accepts  office,  it  wfll  be 
without  the  compromise  of  a  principle,  and  only  because 
he  wfll  have  attaimMJ  more  power  to  serve  Ireland  m  than 
out  of  office.  We  wffl  go  further,  and  say  that  if  O'ConneU 
refused  office  under  such  drcumstances — in  dread  of  the 
misconstructions  of  the  rife  and  the  misconceptions  of  the 
weak — he  should  show  want  of  moral  courage,  be  a  deserter 
of  his  country ;  because  he  would  HUBS  an  oppOEltuuljr  of 
doing  pf»rficrffoo^  lest  he  imght  be  siu^ 
from  the  basest  of  the  human  race.' 

All  Una  tmi«  ff^»  nfar******™  with  O*ConneD  continued 
Dr.  Doyle  was  of  opinion  that,  without  the  Great  Tribune, 
'could  not,  in  his  lifetime,  govern  tins  country.' 


As  the  letters  in  winch  Dr.  Doyle  tefls  what  passed  may 
be  found  in  the  Life  of  Oat  prelate,  it  hardly  needs  to 

TrTTlH*    H-vIll   H^TT.' 

Brougham,  in  his  Autobiography,  writes  :*  '  Grey  never 
would  listen  to  any  proposal  to  treat  with  O'Connefl,  and 
so  nothing  was  done.'  The  '  reforming  King '  was  O'Con- 
nelTs  bitterest  foe,  *nA  in  1™»  «n«iin«|MMulg«i«ft  with  Grey  a 
fervent  hope  is  recorded  that  die  Premier  would  hold  him 
•at  arm's  length.'5  However,  a  patent  of  precedence  at 
the  Bar  was  conferred  upon  him.  This  with  a  couple  of 
weight  of  seal  now  lies  before  me.  A  similar 


See  Life,: 

'••''•'•:'.      '  '•-  .  :"  -:'    ' . 


:;     :.:-.-•:    '  ^    :  L.-L  >..,    T:;    L  j.  I". 


288    COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON NELL    CH.  vn. 

pliment  had  been  already  accepted  by  Brougham  under  the 
Canning  Administration,  and  O'Connell  prized  it  much. 
But  mingled  feelings  succeeded  when  the  bill  of  expenses 
arrived.  The  first  item  is  '  His  Majesty's  Letter,  £14  Is.  3d.'  ; 
among  others  is  '  Lord  Lieutenant  signing  Fiant,  12s.  Qd.f 
and  Stamp  £50.'  The  total  amounts  to  £93  Os.  lid. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  llth  February,  1832. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  cannot  write  to  ask  of  the 
distillers  respecting  my  son's  brewery.  I  am  acting  for 
them  as  a  public  man  on  public  grounds,  and  unfortunately 
doing  them  very  little  good.  I  therefore  am  sorry  to  refuse 
your  request,  but  I  could  not  comply  with  it  without  feeling 
that  I  was  availing  myself  for  private  purposes  of  parlia- 
mentary exertions,  such  as  they  are.  Besides,  is  it  not  quite 
clear  that  the  distillers  are  driven  from  your  shop 6  either 
because  they  find  it  more  their  interest  to  deal  elsewhere  ? 
in  which  case  I  would  no  more  influence  them,  if  even  I 
could,  than  I  would  take  any  other  bribe,  or  by  their 
thinking  that  they  owe  me  no  gratitude,  or  from  a  combi- 
nation of  both  causes  ;  so  that  in  every  view  of  this  subject, 
anxious  as  I  am  for  the  success  of  the  brewery — and  my 
anxiety  is  very  great — I  will  not  in  any  way  interfere  with 
the  distillers,  that  is,  while  I  am  in  parliament.  When  I 
leave  the  House  and  return  to  my  profession,  I  then  will 
not  hesitate  to  canvass  for  the  interests  of  my  darling  child, 
but  until  then  not  one  word.  I  am  not  the  less  grateful  to 
you  for  the  suggestion  from  which  I  thus  differ.  I  know 
it  proceeds  from  the  present  desire  to  serve  the  interests  of 
my  darling  child.  Nothing  new.  THE  TYTHES  ABE  GIVEN 
UP.  Depend  on  this. 

Yours  gratefully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell  having  been  specially  retained  for  a  great  case 
— Kearney  v.  Sarsfield — at  the  Cork  Spring  Assizes  of  1832, 

•  Mr.  FitzPatrick  held  shares  in  a  brewery  which  nominally  belonged  to 
O'ConnelPs  son.     (See  pp.  421-463.) 


1832  PROCESSION  IN  MILITARY  ORDER  289 

advantage  was  taken  of  this  visit  to  organise  a  demonstra- 
tion in  his  honour.  An  immense  procession  of  the  trades, 
carrying  banners,  and  marching  in  military  order,  followed 
by  the  carriages  of  leading  citizens,  met  the  Liberator  some 
miles  from  the  city,  and  gave  him  quite  a  triumphal  entry. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Cork  :  19th  March,  1832. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, —  .  .  .  There  never  was  such  a 
scene  as  we  had  yesterday.  It  is  impossible  to  form  an  idea 
of  it  without  having  been  a  spectator.  It  beat  all  the  pro- 
cessions I  ever  witnessed  all  to  nothing.  It  is  decisive  of 
the  Eepeal.  You  may  smile  at  this,  but  I  think  you  would 
not  if  you  saw  the  respectable  and  considerate  thousands 
who  shouted  for  it  yesterday — Protestants,  Catholics  and 
Presbyterians. 

I  supposed  that  all  the  householders  of  Dublin  were  to 
be  assessed  under  the  recent  Cholera  Statute.7  I  therefore 
did  not  subscribe,  but  if  there  be  no  present  assessment, 
send  £20  for  me  to  the  Mansion  House,  and  send  privately  £5 
to  the  Eev.  Mr.  Ennis  in  Townsend  Street,  and  £5  to  Mrs. 
MacAuley,8  at  the  Convent,  Baggot  Street.  Let  these  two 
be  perfectly  private.  .  .  . 

I  will  write  again  to  you  from  Bath.  I  cannot  express 
to  you  my  anxiety  to  hear  daily  from  Dublin. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Bath  :  3rd  May,  1832. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  write  again  to  urge  you  to  send 
me  to  London  the  receipt  of  the  Hibernian  Bank  for,  if 
possible,  £3,500.  I  am  anxious  to  have  this  receipt  before 
me  on  my  arrival  in  London. 

I  am  also  anxious  to  hear  that  you  and  all  friends  are 
well.  I  trust  in  God  the  malady  9  is  diminishing  ;  it  is  an 
awful  visitation.  We  are — blessed  be  the  great  God  ! — in 
excellent  health. 

7  This  plague  now  swept  Ireland      whom  a  large  biography  has  been 
for  the  first  time.  written. 

8  Mrs.  Catharine   MacAuley,   of  "  The  cholera. 

VOL.    I.  U 


290    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  vn. 

On  May  7,  1832,  Ministers,  having  been  beaten  on  the 
Reform  Bill  by  a  majority  of  35  in  the  Lords,  resigned, 
but  were  persuaded  to  resume  office  on  receiving  the 
Eoyal  permission  to  create  new  peers  and  thus  secure  a 
majority.  O'Connell,  at  this  time,  delivered  a  speech  in 
denunciation  of  the  anti-Reformers  which  equalled  his 
boldest  efforts  in  oratory. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

London  :  15th  May,  1832. 

My  dear  Sir, — These  are  the  times  to  try  men's  souls. 
This  is  the  period  to  distinguish  between  the  real  and  firm 
friends  of  reform  and  the  paltry  pretenders  to  a  spirit  of 
freedom.  I  rejoice  to  see  how  well  the  people  of  Ireland 
understand  their  present  situation.  We  are  not  mere 
spectators ;  we  are  deeply  interested  in  the  constitu- 
tional struggle  now  going  on  in  this  country.  The  fate  of 
Ireland  must  be  much  influenced  by  the  decision  on  the 
English  Reform  Bill.  If  the  Duke  of  Wellington  comes 
into  office,  a  delusive  reform  must  be  given  to  England, 
but  it  is  certain  that  none  will  be  bestowed  on  Ireland, 
unless  we  procure  it  for  ourselves,  as  we  already  procured 
Emancipation.  For  my  part,  I  cannot  bring  myself  to 
believe  that  the  Duke  will  accept  office  under  a  pledge  to 
carry  the  bill.  It  is  scarcely  possible  to  believe  that  any 
man  could  be  found  ready  to  cover  himself  with  such  dis- 
grace as  would  attach  to  him  if,  after  last  week  declaring 
the  Reform  Bill  in  its  details  unjust  and  iniquitous,  and  in 
its  principle  subversive  of  the  monarchy,  he  should  now 
become  the  advocate  of  that  very  measure.  Why,  the 
annals  of  political  depravity  cannot  produce  turpitude  like 
to  this ;  and  the  apathy  with  which  he  stood  by  and  ne- 
glected to  avert  the  murder  of  the  gallant  Ney  was  but  a 
negative  reproach  compared  to  the  execration  which  his 
name  will  create  should  he  falsify  his  own  solemn  declara- 
tions, and  for  the  sake  of  the  paltry  patronage,  and  lucre 
of  place,  turn  round  and  carry  into  effect  a  principle  of 
reform  which,  when  out  of  place,  he  emphatically  condemned. 


1832  ENGLAND  MUST  HAVE  REFORM  291 

Let  us   not  believe   that  there  is  in  human  nature  such 
turpitude,  unless  we  see  it  realised  by  action. 

Yours  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  James  Dwyer.1 

Brooks' :  17  May,  1832. 

My  dear  Dwyer, — Everything  is  in  train  of  settlement, 
and  I  am  told  a  public  and  satisfactory  announcement 
will  be  made  this  evening.  The  fact  is  that  the  people  of 
England  must  luive  Reform. 

This  alone  would  make  me  regret  the  aid  you  tender  to 
our  political  Union.  Mere  reformers  in  Ireland  are  not 
worth  a  Bullrush.  I  would  not  be  at  the  trouble  of  court- 
ing them.  You  must  have  seen  that  I  do  not  urge  on  the 
Eepeal  when  it  could  interfere  with  Reform,  but  I  utterly 
decline  making  any  bargain  on  this  head.  I  will  not  post- 
pone the  Repeal  by  contract,  although  I  tacitly  allow  it  to 
stand  over  for  a  fitter  season,  which  is  now  very  near. 
The  English  Reform  Bill  will  be  Law  in  ten  days,  and  from 
that  moment  the  Repeal  will  be  our  cry ;  it  will  serve  every 
purpose.  In  the  first  place  it  will  compel  a  better  Reform 
Bill  for  Ireland  in  order  to  disarm  some  of  those  who  would 
otherwise  join  in  the  Repeal.  Secondly,  it  will  prepare  the 
English  mind  for  the  more  direct  and  constant  agitation  of 
the  Repeal  Measure.  It  is  absurd  to  suppose  anything 
else  could  serve  Ireland.  It  is  impossible  to  manage  Irish 
interests  by  men  who  are  either  careless  or  inimical  even 
from  mercenary  motives.  I  totally  reject  your  proffered 
aid  and  unpatriotic  friends. 

Yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

1  James  Dwyer,  afterwards  Q.C.,  were  often  very  quaint.  He  de- 
was  held  in  esteem  rather  for  his  scribed  one  barrister  carrying  to 
powers  of  humour  than  for  deep  Court  in  his  pocket  a  large  empty 
legal  acumen.  His  stories  owed  bag.  On  arrival  he  would  put  his 
much  of  their  success  to  the  lugu-  greatcoat  into  this  bag  and  then 
brious  expression  with  which  they  drag  it  from  court  to  court  to  create 
were  told.  For  years  he  had  stalked  the  impression  that  it  was  plethoric 
through  the  Four  Courts,  and  his  of  briefs, 
memories  of  the  men  he  had  known 

u  2 


292    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 

London :  30th  May,  1832. 

No  news.  The  English  Eeform  Bill  is  going  on  swim- 
mingly. The  Irish  Bill  is  as  bad  as  bad  can  be.  If  my 
son  should  come  across  you,  explain  to  him  how  impatient 
I  am  for  his  arrival  here. 

The  small  space  at  the  disposal  of  journalists  fifty  years 
ago  led  to  some  abridgment  of  the  parliamentary  debates, 
with  the  exception  of  speeches  delivered  by  the  Ministers 
and  certain  favourite  orators.  O'Connell,  long  used  to 
stenographic  fidelity  at  home,  now  loudly  complained  that 
his  speeches  had  been  garbled,  especially  on  the  question 
of  West  Indian  slavery.  The  sequel  to  O'Connell's  quarrel 
with  the  reporters  will  be  traced  in  his  letters  of  the  follow- 
ing year. 

To  Captain  Stirling,  of '  The  Times.' 

4  Parliament  Street :  June  21st,  1832. 

Mr.  O'Connell  feels  that  he  owes  it  as  a  duty  to  himself, 
and  perhaps  to  others,  to  remonstrate  with  the  Editor  of 
The  Times  upon  the  circumstance,  which  has  now  occurred 
for  the  second  time,  of  assailing  him  through  the  medium 
of  pretended  reports. 

Mr.  O'Connell  assures  the  Editor  of  The  Times,  and  is 
ready  to  confirm  his  assertion  by  the  most  solemn  sanction, 
that  the  report  of  the  speech  attributed  to  him  is,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  unimportant  ideas,  a  total  and  most 
unfounded  misstatement. 

He  also  is  authorised  by  Mr.  Hunt 2  to  contradict  in  the 
same  manner  the  speech  attributed  to  him.  Mr.  O'Connell 
has  underlined  part  of  the  speech  attributed  to  Mr.  Hunt, 
of  which  not  one  word,  nor  any  idea  bordering  on  such 
sentiments,  was  uttered  by  Mr.  Hunt. 

The  allusion  is  too  plain  to  be  mistaken.  Mr.  O'Connell 
thinks  he  could  treat  the  foolish  story  to  which  it  alluded 
with  silent  contempt,  as  he  has  hitherto  treated  it ;  but  had 
that  allusion  been  made  in  the  House  of  Commons,  he 


2  Henry   Hunt,  M.P.,  the   great 
Radical  reformer  and  orator.    Born 


1773,  died  1835.   (See  letter  of  Sept- 
ember 22,  1828.) 


1832  TIFF   WITH  '  THE   TIMES  '  293 

would  certainly  have  found  it  his  duty  to  give  it  a  quiet 
but  most  emphatic  contradiction. 

He  cannot  bring  himself  to  believe  that  the  Editor  of 
The  Times,  as  a  man  of  integrity  and  a  gentleman,  could 
possibly  countenance  a  proceeding  of  this  description — the 
circulation  of  calumnies  not  uttered  but  put  into  the  mouth 
of  a  man  quite  innocent  on  this  occasion  of  any  sort  of 
connexion  with  them. 

There  is  a  very  strong  reason  why  Mr.  Hunt  should  not 
be  the  person  to  make  any  allusion  to  that  calumny.  He 
certainly  did  not  do  so. 

Mr.  O'Connell  is  also  authorised  by  Mr.  Callaghan 3  to 
assert  in  the  most  positive  manner  that,  short  as  is  the 
speech  attributed  to  him,  it  contains  matter  totally  different 
from  anything  he  said. 

Under  these  circumstances,  Mr.  O'Connell,  having  no 
claim  on  the  Editor  of  The  Times,  but  on  the  score  of  mere 
justice,  thinks  himself  entitled  to  this  redress — namely, 
that  sufficient  care  should  be  taken  to  prevent  the  recurrence 
of  similar  attacks  upon  him. 

Mr.  O'Connell  demands  no  retractation — he  requires 
no  apology — he  solicits  no  dismissal  of  any  reporter.  He 
would  feel  unhappy  if  any  person  were  to  suffer  for  an  injury 
which  he  forgives.  He  is  quite  convinced  that  this  occasion 
will  not  be  taken  to  aggravate  the  injustice  done  him  by 
the  shape  of  anything  purporting  to  be  an  apology. 

Mr.  O'Connell,  however,  does  not  shrink  from  any 
mode  of  warfare  that  may  be  adopted  against  him,  and 
without  deprecating  hostility,  and  looking  only  for  justice  in 
future  in  the  mere  matter  of  reporting,  he  feels  that  he  thus 
has  discharged  a  duty,  and  rests  content. 

Captain  Stirling,  in  reply,  said  that  his  indignation 
exceeded  even  Mr.  O'Connell's  '  at  the  gross  misrepresenta- 
tion which  he  imputed  '  to  the  reporter.  He  was  peculiarly 
anxious  that  every  word  which  fell  from  Mr.  O'Connell 

3  Mr.  Gerald  Callaghan,  M.P.  for       strange   system    of  reporting    then 
Cork.      (See   O'Connell's    letter    to       common.) 
FitzPatrick  of  July  18,  1831,  on  the 


294   CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 

should  be  reported  with  scrupulous  precision,  and  he  would 
treat  any  attempt  to  distort  the  expression  of  his  opinions 
as  an  act  of  intolerable  baseness. 


To  John  Walter,  Esq.,  of '  The  Times.' 

4  Parliament  Street :  June  21st,  1832. 

Sir, — I  venture  to  address  you  in  your  proper  person, 
because  I  have  to  ask  a  favour. 

Let  me  say  by  way  of  preface  that  if  the  house  had 
continued  to  sit  another  half  hour  I  should  have  exonerated 
the  management  of  The  Times  from  all  blame.  I  intend 
to  do  so  in  my  best  manner  to-morrow. 

I  have  seen  Mr.  Nugent,  the  reporter,  and  am  quite 
satisfied  on  the  subject  of  the  report.  The  favour  I  venture, 
therefore,  to  ask  is  that  you  will  overlook  his  error.  I 
should  feel  unhappy  if  I  were  the  means  of  doing  him  any 
injury. 

It  is  quite  true  that  I  can  have  no  means  of  compen- 
sating you  in  any  mode  for  granting  me  this  favour,  but  I 
will  not  be  the  less  sensible  of  it. 

Will  you,  then,  allow  me  to  say  that  if,  on  the  whole, 
you  think  I  have  any  claim  to  have  my  feelings  con- 
sulted, you  will  comply  with  my  request  and  grant  me  this 

favour?  Ihave,&c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

An  Orange  journalist  had  made  an  effort  to  annoy  the 
'Agitator 'by  intruding  on  his  private  affairs,  but  O'Connell's 
troublesome  enemy,  the  Mail,  now  took  higher  ground. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  17th  July,  1832. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — See  Mr.  Sheehan,4  and  express 
to  him  for  himself  and  for  Dr.  Boyton  5  my  hearty  thanks 

4  Thomas  Sheehan,  of  the  writer  in  the  Mail,  of  whom  pre- 

Dublin  Evening  Mail,  a  violent  op-  sently.  (Fide  letter  of  February  21, 

ponent  of  Daniel  O'Connell.  1833,  infra.) 

*  Bev.  Dr.  Boyton,  F.T.C.D.,  a 


1832  EEMIGIUS  SHEEHAN  295 

as  a  private  gentleman  and  quite  independent  of  politics. 
I  wish  it  may  be  in  my  power  to  shew  them,  and  espe- 
cially Mr.  E.  Sheehan,6  the  readiness  and  the  pleasure  I 
should  have  in  doing  anything  that  could  oblige  or  serve. 
I  am  very  glad  ....  has  attacked  me,  because  it  has 
enabled  me  to  see  the  personal  good  qualities  and  high- 
mindedness  of  men  who  have  been,  and  are  upon  principle, 
my  very  violent  and  most  decided  political  enemies.  It  is 
pleasant  to  find  that  Irishmen  are  better  than  our  passions 
and  prejudices  make  us  imagine. 

I  trust,  between  you  and  me,  that  the  day  is  not  distant 
when  we  will  join  our  '  little  senates,'  and  compose  only  one 
body  concerting  together  for  the  good  of  Irishmen  of  every 
class  and  persuasion. 

I  want  £200.  I  want  this  sum  without  delay.  Send  it 
to  me  by  return  of  the  post.  I  allow  these  things  to  remain 
over  too  long,  and  then  have  to  use  an  urgency  which 
might  easily  be  spared. 

Yours  most  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Remi  or  Remigius  Sheehan,  whose  name  will  be  often 
found  to  crop  up  in  this  correspondence,  had  been  an  attorney 
in  Cork,  but,  finding  letters  and  politics  more  to  his  taste, 
succeeded  Haydn,  author  of  the  '  Dictionary  of  Dates,'  as 
editor  of  the  Dublin  Evening  Mail.  The  constant  wasp- 
ishness  of  his  attacks  on  O'Connell  and  Popery  gave  the 
Liberator  much  annoyance,  and  one  day  he  retorted  by 
upbraiding  Sheehan  with  apostasy.  Sheehan,  stung  by 
this  charge,  which  in  point  of  fact  was  true,  struck  O'Connell 
with  an  umbrella  in  Nassau  Street  and  then  ran  away. 
Sheehan  had  been  arrested,  and  O'Connell  appeared  at 
College  Street  Police  Office  in  January  1827  to  lodge  in- 
formations against  him  for  the  assault.  Sheehan  com- 
plained of  the  indignity  offered  to  him  by  the  arrest  instead 
of  serving  him  with  a  summons  to  appear. 

6  Remigius  Sheehan,  brother  of  Thomas. 


296    COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  vii. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  19th  July,  1832. . 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, —  I  wrote  to  you  yesterday  for 
£200.  I  now  draw  another  draft  on  you.  Send  £10 
privately  to  Mrs.  MacAulay,  Sisters  of  Charity  House,7  for 
the  sick  poor  under  their  charge.  Send  £10  privately  also 
to  the  Eev.  Mr.  Ennis,  Townsend  Street,  for  the  sick  poor 
under  his  charge.  Send  also  £10,  the  first  instalment  of 
my  subscription  for  the  new  chapel  in  Westland  Row. 

You  will  perceive  by  the  newspapers  that  I  have  suc- 
ceeded for  Sir  Abraham  Bradley  King.  I  venture  to  assert 
that  between  both  parties  he  would  have  been  left  a 
beggar  if  I  had  not  taken  him  up.  May  God  forgive  me  if 
1  be  wrong,  but  I  do  not  think  the  act  will  be  thrown  away 
when  we  come  to  our  next  effort  for  conciliation.8 

I  have  now  disembarrassed  myself  of  my  share  of  public 
business,  and,  if  the  Kilkenny  Assizes  be  postponed,  will  be 
able  to  attend.  I  leave,  please  God,  for  Bristol  next  Monday. 
I  intend  going  by  Cork  and  Killarney  to  my  mountains  to 
prepare  for  another  campaign,  which,  with  the  blessing  of 
God,  will  be  more  useful  for  Ireland.  You  have  seen  in  the 
papers  what  a  triumph  Brady  has — I  mean  J.  C.  Brady — 
over  the  Chief  Justice  and  our  rascally  Irish  Judges  on  the 
subject  of  peremptory  challenges  in  transportable  felony 
cases.  The  Attorney  General  and  Campbell  declared  them- 
selves decidedly  in  favor  of  his  opinion. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

I  do  not  think  Stanley  will  be  able  to  carry  his  Tythe 
Bill  this  session.  His  prosecutions  are  considered  silly  and 
vexatious. 

An  attempt  had  been  made  to  give  certain  corporate 
officers  of  the  old  regime  in  Dublin  less  compensation  than 

7  Sisters  of  Mercy.  Catholic  Emancipation.     Cox's  Ma- 

8  Sir    Abraham    B.    King    had  gazine   of    the    day   exhibits    him, 
been   a  prominent  member   of  the  pictorially  and  otherwise,  as  leading 
Orange  Corporation  of  Dublin,  and  the    van   of    various    anti-Catholic 
a    most    determined    opponent    of  movements. 


1832  SIB  ABRAHAM  B.  KING  297 

their  berths  were  worth ;  and  others  besides  King  received 
O'Connell's  aid.  Indeed,  all  he  required  was  to  be  satisfied 
that  the  claims  of  every  man  whose  cause  he  espoused  was 
a  just  one,  and,  as  soon  as  that  was  proved,  he  took  the 
Orangeman  by  the  hand  and  helped  him  with  thorough 
zeal.  Sir  Abraham  B.  King  was  Deputy  Grand  Master  of 
the  Orange  Society.  At  the  time  of  the  Parliamentary 
proceedings,  to  which  O'Connell  refers  as  having  been 
entirely  successful  on  behalf  of  King,  he  received  a  letter 
from  the  baronet  to  the  following  effect : — '  Spring  Gardens, 
London,  4th  August,  1832.  My  dear  Sir, — The  anxious 
wish  for  a  satisfactory  termination  of  my  case,  which  your 
continued  and  unwearied  efforts  for  it  ever  indicated,  is  at 
length  accomplished.  The  vote  for  compensation  passed  last 
night.  To  Mr.  Lefroy  and  yourself  am  I  indebted  for  putting 
the  case  in  the  right  position  to  my  Lord  Althorp,  and  for 
his  Lordship's  consequent  candid  and  straightforward  act  in 
giving  me  my  full  dues,  and  thus  restoring  myself  and  family 
to  comparative  ease  and  happiness.  To  you,  Sir,  to  whom  I 
was  early  and  long  politically  opposed — to  you,  who,  nobly 
forgetting  this  difference  of  opinions,  and  who,  rejecting 
every  feeling  of  party  spirit,  thought  of  my  distress  and 
sped  to  succour  and  support  me,  how  can  I  express  my 
gratitude  ?  I  cannot  attempt  it.  The  reward  I  feel  is  to 
be  found  only  in  your  own  breast,  and  I  assure  myself  that 
the  generous  feelings  of  a  noble  mind  will  cheer  you  into 
that  prosperity  and  happiness  which  a  discriminating 
Providence  holds  out  to  those  who  protect  the  helpless  and 
sustain  the  falling.  For  such  reward  and  happiness,  to  you 
and  yours,  my  prayers  shall  be  offered  fervently ;  while  the 
remainder  of  my  days,  passed,  I  trust,  in  tranquillity  (by 
a  complete  retirement  from  public  life,  and  in  the  bosom 
of  my  family),  will  constantly  present  to  me  the  grateful 
recollection  of  one  to  whom  I  am  mainly  indebted  for  so 
desirable  a  closing  of  my  life.' 

The  writer  of  this  letter  died  in  1838.  One  day  Colonel 
Pratt  entered  O'Connell's  study,  and  told  him  that  his  late 
father-in-law,  Sir  Abraham,  when  extremely  ill,  had  called 
him  to  his  bedside,  and  said,  '  When  I  shall  have  been 
buried,  go  to  Daniel  O'Connell  and  tell  him  that  the  last 
prayer  of  a  grateful  man  was  offered  up  for  him  ;  and  that 
I  implored  Heaven  to  avert  every  peril  from  his  head.' 

This  feeling  was  shared  by  his  son,  the  Eev.  Sir  Walker 


298    COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  vn. 


King,  Bart.,  who,  when  O'Connell  was  prosecuted  in  1844, 
wrote  a  handsome  letter,  enclosing  £10  to  aid  in  his 
defence.9 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  llth  August,  1832. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — You  will  be  happy  to  hear  that 
my  health  is — blessed  be  God ! — quite  restored,  and  I  now 
enjoy  my  pristine  elasticity  of  animal  sensation.  There 
never  was  so  great  a  change  in  the  tone  of  animal  functions 
in  any  man  within  so  short  a  period.  I  enjoy  my  mountain 
hunting  on  foot  as  much  as  ever  1  did,  and  expect,  with  the 
help  of  God,  to  be  quite  prepared  for  as  vigorous  a  winter 
campaign  as  ever  I  carried  on.  It  is  quite  necessary. 

I  want  you  to  pay  the  following  sums  for  me :  1st.  The 
ten  pounds  a  month  to  the  Eev.  Mr.  Blake,  for  Townsend 
Street  Chapel,1  as  removing.  2nd.  To  pay  half  a  year's 
subscription  for  me  to  the  Repealer  newspaper.  3rd.  To 
pay  Pat  Costello 2  at  his  office  £50  on  my  account.  4th. 
To  send  me  down,  by  the  Eev.  Mr.  L'Estrange,  the  New 
Monthly,  Tait's  Edinburgh,  the  Irish3  and  the  Catholic 

9  The  deliberate  statement  of 
O'Connell,  already  recorded  more 
than  once,  that  he  was  the  worst 
correspondent  in  the  world,  and  in- 
deed hated  to  write  letters,  is  curi- 
ously illustrated  by  the  fact  that 
this  effusion  of  Sir  Walker  King 
remained  wholly  unacknowledged. 
The  baronet,  stung  by  such  neglect, 
at  length  addressed  a  hot  protest  to 
O'Connell's  son.  Much  of  this  sort 
of  thing  that  might  be  told  makes 
one  value  the  more  the  marvellous 
fulness  with  which  O'Connell  opened 
to  FitzPatrick  his  mind  and  heart. 

1  The     new     Eoman      Catholic 
Church  in  Westland  Row  was  now 
being  built  to  replace  an  old  chapel 
in  Townsend  Street.     Designed  from 
a  structure  in  Athens,  and  capable 
of    holding   6,000    persons,    it   was 
finished  in  three  years,  at  a  cost  of 
£13,000,  subscribed  by  the  parish- 
ioners. 

2  Pat  Costello  was  a  staunch  ally 


of  O'Connell's.  His  vulgar  humour 
has  been  already  noticed.  He  con- 
tested Waterford  with  Sir  H.  W. 
Barron,  who  was  elected ;  but  Cos- 
tello lodged  a  petition  against  him 
and  went  to  London  to  watch  its 
progress.  At  the  threshold  of  the 
Senate  the  doorkeeper  informed  him 
that  he  could  not  pass.  Costello 
declared  that  he  would  be  a  M.P.  in 
a  week.  The  janitor  tartly  replied 
that  he  must  wait  until  then,  drew 
himself  up,  and  looked  imposing  in 
his  official  dress.  '  When  I'm  de- 
clared the  sitting  member,'  pro- 
ceeded Costello,  '  the  first  motion  I'll 
make  will  be  to  get  the  Spaker  to 
clap  a  pair  of  plush  breeches  on 
your  shapely  legs  ! '  Some  members 
who  had  come  on  the  scene,  and 
were  waiting  to  pass,  laughed  loudly, 
to  the  great  discomfiture  of  the 
official,  who  had  been  formerly  a 
servant  to  Lord  Derby. 

3  O'Connell  wrote  for  the  Irish 


1832  BOOKS  BEQUIBED  299 

Magazines,  all  for  August.  Send  me  also,  if  you  can  pro- 
cure them,  my  four  letters  on  the  Eepeal  Question.  They 
were  printed,  as  small  pamphlets,  by  O'Flanagan,  26 
Bachelors'  Walk.  Send  me  also  the  3rd  number  of  March- 
man's  Illustrations  of  Pol.  Economy,  also  the  Reform  Bill 
the  moment  Grierson 4  gets  it  after  it  has  received  the  Eoyal 
assent. 

Believe  me,  &c.  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Monthly  Magazine.    His  most  im-      nell,  in  vol.  ii.  page  255.     (See  p.  1, 

portant  contribution  is  the  account      ante.) 

of  his  uncle,  General  Count  O'Con-  4  The  King's  printer. 


300   CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vm. 


CHAPTEE   VIII. 


Qualifying  for  an  Attorney-Generalship — Election  for  Dublin — Tories 
coalesce  with  O'Connell— Edward  Southwell  Euthven — Tithe  Warfare 
— Louis  Perrin — Con  MacLoughlen — Progress  of  Repeal — Foot-Simon 
and  Fat-Simon — To  Lord  Duncannon — '  The  Volunteers  for  Repeal  of 
the  Union  ' — The  Cabinet  puzzled- — Coercion  Bill  of  Earl  Grey — A  Tory 
O'Connell — Dr.  Boyton,  F.T.C.D. — Attempted  Coalition  with  Orangemen 
— '  A  Delightful  Vision  ' — Lord  Anglesey's  Threat  to  blockade  the  Irish 
Ports — Agrarian  Outrages — '  Luttrel  Lambert  ' — Bishop  Doyle — O'Con- 
nell calumniated—  A  Great  Struggle—'  The  Die  is  cast :  we  are  Slaves.' 

THE  Trades  Political  Union  was  a  democratic  body  which 
went  at  times  too  fast  for  O'Connell,  and  at  other  periods 
not  fast  enough,  but  he  used  it  as  a  motive  power  in  his 
organisation.  Marcus  Costello,  President  of  the  Union,  is 
generally  found  in  opposition  to  the  Liberator,  and  creating 
dissensions  in  the  National  Councils.  He  posed  as  a 
flaming  patriot  and  fire-eater ;  exchanged  shots  with  Tom 
Eeynolds  in  the  Phosnix  Park ;  made  his  processions  parade 
defiantly  round  the  statue  of  William  III. ;  is  found  in  the 
hands  of  the  police  more  than  once ;  but  our  final  glimpse 
of  this  great  demagogue  is  in  the  role  of  Attorney-General 
at  Gibraltar,  where  he  was  allotted  a  palatial  residence  in 
the  midst  of  orange  groves. 

It  was  no  uncommon  practice  with  Viceroys  of  the  past 
to  employ  sham  patriots  to  create  division  in  the  National 
Councils.  '  My  plan,'  writes  Lord  Northington,  '  was,  by 
means  of  our  friends  in  the  Assembly,  to  perplex  its  pro- 
ceedings and  create  confusion.'  l 

Some  might  suspect  that  this  policy  was  followed  in  the 
present  instance ;  but,  on  full  inquiry,  I  am  assured  that 
the  appointment  of  Marcus  Costello  to  Gibraltar  was  simply 
to  get  rid  of  a  dangerous  man,  and  that  before  making  it 
O'Connell's  sanction  had  been  obtained. 

1  Froude,  English  in  Ireland,  vol.  ii.  pp.  384-5. 


1832 


MABCUS  COSTELLO 


301 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  29th  August,  1832. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, —  .  .  .  Can  you  find  out  for  me 
the  motive  for  Marcus  Costello's 2  outrageous  conduct  at  the 
Political  Union  ?  I  beg  of  you  personally  to  watch  him — 
and  give  me  any  intelligence  you  consider  perfectly  accurate 
as  to  his  motives.  You  perceive  that  my  mind  is  made  up 
upon  two  points — first,  that  every  exertion  should  be  used 
to  register  as  strong  a  force  as  possible  in  Dublin,  without 
quarrelling  about  the  candidates ;  and  secondly,  that  when 
the  time  comes  no  candidate  should  be  tolerated  but  a  Ee- 
pealer.  James  Dwyer  was  very  idle  on  this  subject.  A 
Whig  or  an  Angleseyite  is  as  bad  for  Ireland — indeed  much 
worse  than  a  Conservative.  A  Conservative  has  but  one 
fault,  which  is  indeed  a  thumper :  he  wants  ascendancy — a 
thing  impossible  to  be  revived.  But  he  is,  after  that,  Irish, 
often  very  very  Irish,  and  whilst  in  opposition  he  may  be 
made  more  Irish  than  the  Irish  themselves.  An  Angleseyite, 
on  the  contrary,  is  a  suffocating3  scoundrel  who  would  crush 
every  Irish  effort  lest  it  should  disturb  the  repose  of  our 
English  masters. 


'-  The  Dublin  Evening  Post  of 
August  25,  1832,  gives  a  long  report 
of  the  proceedings,  on  the  previous 
day,  of  the  Trades  Political  Union. 
Sergeants  Perrin  and  O'Loghlen 
both  sought  to  enter  Parliament  as 
Liberals,  but  Marcus  Costello  re- 
sisted their  pretensions,  and  declared 
that  the  Trades  Union  should  reserve 
to  themselves  the  right  of  modifying 
or  withholding  any  one  of  the  pledges 
prescribed  for  popular  candidates. 
The  Chairman  ruled  the  whole  dis- 
cussion out  of  order.  Costello  re- 
fused to  submit,  spoke  to  order,  and 
moved  that  Mr.  Brown  do  leave  the 
chair.  Carew  O'Dwyer,  in  moving 
an  amendment,  said  that  he  saw  Mr. 
Brown  fill  that  chair  at  the  Catholic 
Association,  when  it  was  an  office 
of  danger  to  be  in  it.  Pat  Costello 
supported  O'Dwyer,  and  Marcus 


Costello,  amid  much  confusion,  rose 
to  order,  while  Barrett  proceeded  to 
throw  oil  on  the  troubled  waters. 
'  Desultory  conversation,'  he  said, 
'was  permitted  in  all  debating  as- 
semblies— the  House  of  Lords  for 
example — and  gentlemen  should 
carry  it  on  without  asperity.'  In 
the  end  Marcus  Costello  said  that 
he  '  would  withhold  his  motion  from 
personal  respect  to  the  Chairman, 
and  for  no  other  reason.'  Marcus 
and  Pat  Costello  were  not  related : 
the  first  was  a  Protestant,  the  latter 
a  staunch  Catholic.  Between  Marcus 
Costello  and  Marcus  Cicero,  Conway 
the  journalist  loved  to  draw  a 
pleasant  parallel. 

O'Connell  finally  retired  from  the 
Trades  Political  Union. 

3  Meaning  a  man  who  would  gag 
or  stifle  the  vox  populi. 


302    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vni. 

I  wish  I  could  get  Boyton  and  Shaw,  the  Recorder,  to 
join  me  for  the  Repeal. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick* 

Darrynane  Abbey :  31st  August,  1832. 

One  hasty  line  for  two  purposes.  First,  I  am  quite  satis- 
fied you  should  try  how  the  ice  will  bear  in  Dublin.  I  am 
quite  ready  to  coalesce  with  a  Conservative  on  the  basis 
of  the  Repeal.  I  am  also  convinced  that  any  triumph  of 
the  Anglesey  party  would  be  over  the  heart  of  Ireland. 

llth  September,  1832. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — At  the  other  side  you  have  my 
notice  of  registry.  Get  it  served.  It  is  for  honest  Ruthven 
and  for  any  Corporator  that  will  come  forward  for  Dublin 
on  Repeal  principles.  I  will  address  the  Freemen  so  soon 
as  the  Registry  is  over.  The  worst  party  in  Ireland  is  the 
Anglesey  party.  I  prefer  the  Conservatives  to  the  An- 
gleseyites.  The  Conservatives  cannot  hold  together.  The 
conservation  of  tythes  is  the  basis  of  their  Union,  and  that 
takes  away  from  them  all  the  honest  dissenters,  and  very 
many  Establishment  Protestants. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  19th  Sept.  1832. 

Is  there  any  chance  of  George  Evans5  taking  the 
pledges  ?  Will  he  Repeal  the  Union  ?  If  he  agrees  to  that, 


4  FitzPatrick,  on  receiving  an 
intimation  of  O'ConnelPs  views,  put 
them  into  rhyme.  The  Dublin 
Evening  Post  of  September  8,  1832, 
contains  a  column  of  doggerel  be- 
ginning : — 

My  fellow  citizens,  I  have  received 

Your  invitation,  and  am  much  re- 
lieved 

To  think  that,  tho'  my  vow  to 
Kerry's  given, 

I  haven't  registered  that  vow  in 
Heaven ; 


So  your  request  may  yet  meet  my 
compliance 

On  one  condition — that  a  short  alli- 
ance, &c.  &c. 

O'Connell,  when  challenged  to 
fight  a  duel,  replied  that  he  had 
registered  a  vow  in  Heaven  against 
it. 

5  Of  Portrane.  Son  of  Hampden 
Evans,  one  of  the  Society  of  United 
Irishmen. 


1832  A   COALITION   UBGED  303 

then  he  commands  all  our  support.  If  nobody  else  starts 
on  the  Eepeal  I  will  get  Fitz  Simon  6  to  address  the  electors 
—if  the  Eegistry  is  favourable  to  a  good  man  and  true.  I 
shall  be  very  impatient  to  hear  what  notices  have  been 
served  in  Dublin.  If  that  city  would  but  return  two 
Eepealers — Euthven  and  a  Corporator,  pledged  to  the 
Eepeal.  It  is  great  folly  and  wickedness  to  exclaim  against 
a  coalition  of  this  description.  What  every  honest  man  has 
desired,  and  every  good  man  prayed  for,  was  an  opportu  - 
nity  to  bring  Irishmen  of  every  party  together  to  co-operate 
for  some  object  useful  to  Ireland,  on  which  they  could 
compleatly  agree.  It  is  really  quite  provoking  that  there 
should  have  been  so  much  cant  on  this  subject,  if  there  were 
any  reality  in  the  expression  of  a  desire  for  an  opportunity 
of  this  description.  Here  is  one  ready  made  ;  and  yet  some 
men  will  prefer  continuing  in  thraldom  to  the  British, 
selfish,  ignorant  Parliament,  rather  than  get  one  at  home 
at  the  expense  of  a  mere  prejudice.  For  my  part,  I  will 
leave  no  stone  unturned  to  create  co-operation  for  the 
Eepeal. 

I  did  not  intend  to  write  half  as  much,  but  the  Eepeal 
runs  away  with  me. 

Ever  yours  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

(Private.)  Darrynane  Abbey  :  16th  Sept.  1832. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  sent  you  a  letter  for  publication  on 
Stanley's  blundering  Proclamations.  If  I  had  published  it 
sooner  it  might  have  retarded  persons  otherwise  disposed 
to  serve  notices.  At  present  it  cannot  do  any  harm,  and  it 
may  do  some  good.  The  towns  having  Clerks  of  the  Peace 
by  Charter  are  sadly  misled  by  Stanley.  But  his  grand 
blunder  is  putting  all  the  counties  at  once  under  deputies, 
whilst  he  throws  overboard  the  principal  altogether.  If  the 

6  O'ConnelPs  son-in-law.     Both       A.   Hamilton   and  Lord  Brabazon, 
Evans  and  FitzSimon  were  returned       afterwards  Earl  of  Meath. 
for  Dublin  County,  beating   George 


304    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vm. 

committee  at  the  Commercial  Buildings  have  any  spirit, 
they  will  avail  themselves  of  both  these  points,  and  get  a 
new  register.  The  notices  already  served  will  be  available 
for  that  purpose,  I  mean  for  the  new  session,  if  it  can  be 
obtained. 

Between  you  and  me,  you  will  see  in  the  True  Sun  a 
strong  letter  by  me  on  the  subject  of  the  Wallstown  mas- 
sacre.7 I  take  it  that  the  slaughter  there  was  a  palpable 
murder.  There  is  no  such  right  as  that  claimed  by  the 
parsons,  of  going  into  any  man's  farm  to  value  his  growing 
crop.  It  was  in  the  exercise  of  this  claim,  which  I  take  to 
be  illegal,  that  the  people  were  shot. 

Thus  the  case  is  one  of  murder,  because,  in  my  view  of 
the  Law,  the  Parson  and  his  party  were  trespassers,  and  it 
was  lawful  to  resist  them.  Do  not  publish  this  letter,  but 
you  may  put  the  point  quietly.  You  will,  of  course,  publish 
the  other  letter,  that  respecting  the  Blunders.8 

The  publication  for  which  you  are  prosecuted  is  one 
entirely  depending  on  the  jury  for  its  guilt.  No  fair  jury 
can  convict  you.  An  unfair  or  packed  jury  would  have  a 
sufficient  excuse  for  a  conviction.  But  it  is  a  very  favourable 
publication  to  speak  to,  and  your  prospect  of  an  acquittal  is 
indeed  great.  The  business,  in  the  meantime,  is  to  make  the 
Government  ashamed  of  their  multiplied  prosecutions. 

Have  we  any  chance  of  seeing  you  here  during  the  vaca- 
tion ?  I  need  not  tell  you  how  happy  I  should  be  to  show 
you  this  place,  and  talk  to  you  without  interruption  of  my 
plans  for  ameliorating  the  condition  of  the  Irish  people. 

Always  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  22d  Sept.  1832. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  am  not  sorry  that  the  Counsel 
for  the  Crown  think  the  Session  may  go  on  under  deputies 

7  Sanguinary  collisions  had  oc-       efforts  to  levy  tithes  from  the  people, 
curred   at   Kathcorrnac   and  Walls-  s  Stanley's     political     blunders. 

town    in    consequence    of    resolute       (Vide  second  line  of  this  letter.) 


1832  SELF-GOVEENMENT  305 

alone.  But  I  differ  with  them  as  to  the  proclamations 
issued  by  Stanley,  who  could  appoint  deputies  or  assist- 
ants to,  but  not  superseders  of,  the  chairmen  of  each  county. 
Be  it  so,  however.  Let  us  only  go  on  as  if  Stanley  were 
right. 

It  is  curious  what  idle  reports  are  circulated  in  Dublin. 
It  is  totally  untrue  that  there  was  ever  any  understanding 
between  the  Eecorder9  and  me  on  the  subject  of  the  Dublin 
election.  We  never  in  London  talked  for  one  moment 
seriously  on  the  subject.  We  joked  about  it,  and  I  laughed 
at  the  idea.  But  I  should,  since  my  coming  to  Ireland,  have 
been  glad  to  make  a  coalition  between  him  and  a  radical, 
the  basis  of  which  should  be  '  The  Eepeal.'  This  is  the 
only  basis  I  woidd  accept  of,  because  my  object  in  any  such 
coalition  would  be  that  and  nothing  else.  I  certainly  would 
propose  that  coalition,  and  endeavour  to  enforce  it  on  all 
my  friends  if  I  could  ;  that  is,  exclusively  on  the  basis  of 
'  the  Eepeal.' 

My  political  life  is  devoted  to  that  object.  Everything 
else  is  trivial  and  unimportant.  Self-government  is  neces- 
sary everywhere,  but  Ireland  cannot  subsist  without  a  local 
and  domestic  Legislature.  And  it  would  be  best  and  most 
satisfactory  to  obtain  that  legislature  with  the  consent  of 
persons  of  all  parties  and  persuasions. 

As  to  the  report  of  the  Kerry  landlords  preventing  their 
tenants  from  registering,  I  hear  it  for  the  first  time.  You 
may  contradict  it  emphatically,  if  it  be  worth  while.  I 
expect,  on  the  contrary,  that  we  shall  have  a  large  registry. 
As  to  my  return  it  seems  not  to  have  entered  into  the  head 
of  anybody  in  this  county  to  imagine  it  possible  to  prevent 
it.  I  myself  certainly  do  believe  it  to  be  totally  im- 
possible. I  trust  I  shall  prevent  Mullins  also  from  being 
disturbed.  He  avows  himself  an  Extinguisher  *  and  a  Re- 
pealer. My  highest  ambition  is  to  represent  this  county. 
Nor  would  I  give  it  up,  except  to  carry  or  greatly  to  advance 

9  The     Eight    Hon.     Frederick       Tithes,  had  held  out  a  hope  of  their 
Shaw.  '  complete  extinction.' 

1  Mr.    Stanley,   in   a  report   on 

VOL.    I.  X 


306     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' 'CONN 'ELL  CH.  vin. 


the  Eepeal.  The  game  to  be  played  in  Dublin  is  to  return 
Euthven  and  a  Corporation  repealer.  That  would  be  a 
triumph  indeed. 

As  to  Perrin,2 1  speak  with  you  candidly.  He  behaved 
exceedingly  ill  to  me  on  the  Proclamation  prosecutions.  I 
think  he  behaved  most  unprofessionally  ill.  I  am  sure  I  ex- 
perienced on  that  occasion  nothing  like  friendship  from  him. 
But  I  heartily  forgive  him,  and  of  course  cannot  entertain 
anything  like  a  hostile  feeling. 

The  point  he  behaved  ill  on  was  the  deserting  ME  on 
Blackburn's  infamous  attachment  motion,  upon  this  paltry 
pretence,  that  I  was  not  the  person  nominally  attacked.  His 
conduct  was  very  bad  indeed,  but  he  is  so  superior  to  the  great 
mass  of  his  profession,  he  has  so  many  good  and  excellent 
and  amiable  points  about  him,  that  I  would  not  oppose  him 
for  any  friend  or  relative  ;  no,  not  for  my  son  himself. 
But  the  Repeal  is  my  first,  my  immediate,  my  constant 
duty.  If  Perrin  would  declare  for  the  Repeal,  I  would 
walk  from  this  to  Dublin  barefoot  to  get  him  one  vote. 
But  a  Repealer  for  Dublin  is  my  motto,  and  my  sacred 
•duty. 

This  brings  me  to  O'Loughlen.3  He  is  the  best  and 
most  excellent  creature.  I  love  him  as  my  son,  and  would 
trust  him  exactly  in  the  same  way.  I  would  share  my 
bread  and  my  cup  with  him  to  the  last  drop  and  sup.  I 
would  share  my  heart's  blood  with  him.  But  I  deal  with 
him  as  I  do  with  Maurice.4  If  Maurice  refused  to  give  the 
Repeal  test,  I  would  oppose  him,  decidedly  oppose  him,  if  I 
could  get  a  Repealer  in  his  place.  I  should  bitterly  lament 
to  be  in  any  species  of  hostility  with  O'Loughlen,  but 
'  Angleseyites  '  are  now  the  bane  of  Ireland.  Repealers  are 
its  only  chance. 


2  Louis  Perrin,  a  great  Liberal, 
and  the   attached   friend  of  Robert 
Emmett.    He  was  one  of  the  judges 
who,  in  1844,  tried   and  sentenced 
O'Connell. 

3  Serjeant,  afterwards  Sir  Michael, 
O'Loughlen.      He  was  intimate   at 
O'Connell's  house  from  1807.     Mrs. 


O'Connell,  writing  to  her  husband 
on  July  14,  1817,  says  of  Eicarda, 
her  niece,  '  I  quiz  her  a  good  deal 
about  O'Loughlen  the  barrister.  I 
told  her  that  your  going  to  his 
brother's  looked  suspicions.'' 
4  O'Connell's  eldest  son. 


1832  THE   GERALDINES  307 

As  to  the  Duke  of  Leinster,  he  is  the  first  of  his  race 5 
who  was  un-Irish,  and  he  is  un-Irish  to  the  backbone.  I 
believe  any  thing  adverse  to  the  real  interests  of  Ireland 
respecting  that  man.  I  repeat  that  I  have  not,  and 
never  had,  any  ambition  to  represent  Dublin.  It  would 
be  a  sacrifice  to  me  to  represent  it,  and  never  was 
there  a  greater  falsehood  propounded  than  the  assertion 
that  I  had  any  understanding  with  the  Eecorder  on  the 
subject. 

There  never  was  any  such  thing.  But  I  was  always 
ready  to  coalesce  with  him,  and  am  ready  to  coalesce  with 
him  or  with  any  other  Corporator  on  the  sole  basis  of  the 
Repeal,  but  I  believe  he  is  opposed,  upon  some  fantastic 
notion  of  Protestantism,  to  the  Eepeal ;  a  notion  which  there 
is  no  hope  of  banishing,  because  it  is  impervious  to  argu- 
ment or  reasoning.  His  not  acceding  to  the  support  of  the 
Eepeal  made  and  makes  it  impossible  for  me  to  suffer  any 
coalition.  But  any  Corporator  should  have  my  second 
vote  who  declared  for  the  Eepeal,  taking  care  that  Euthven 
should  have  the  first.  We  all  owe  Euthven  a  duty  to  return 
him. 

I  have  run  on  with  my  rambling,  simply  because  the 
Eepeal  appears  to  me  to  want  nothing  but  sincere  and  un- 
compromising advocates.  I  have  at  present  bright  pros- 
pects on  that  subject.  I  may  be  deceived  and  disappointed, 
but  I  do  expect  two  Eepealers  for  the  County  of  Cork,  two 
for  the  City,  two  for  the  County  of  Limerick,6  two  for  the 
City,  two  for  Kerry,  one  at  least  for  Clare — vile  Clare  I  call 

it,  corrupted  as  it  has  been  by  that  bad  man  M ;  one 

for  Tralee,  one  for  Youghal,  &c.  &c. 

If  the  City  of  Dublin  and  the  County  of  Dublin  return 
each  two  Eepealers  the  business  is  done.  Backed  by  the 
Irish  nation  the  Eepeal  becomes  quite  irresistible. 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL. 

5  It  was  said  of  the  Geraldines,  6  Mr.  Godfrey  Massy  came  for- 

who  were  amongst  the  most  coura-  ward  for  that   county.      O'Connell 

geous  of  the  Anglo-Norman  invaders  addressed    a   letter   to   him   which 

of   Ireland   '  ipsis   Hibernis  Hiber-  appears  in  the  Appendix, 
niores.' 

x  2 


303    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vra. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  29th  Septr.  1832. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — .  .  .  You  have  named  the  best 
man  living  as  a  candidate  for  Dublin,  my  beloved  friend  Cor- 
nelius McLoughlin,7  but  a  little  common  sense  is  very  much 
wanting  to  those  who  for  the  present  press  him  on.  Why 
in  the  name  of  all  that  is  absurd  not  wait  until  you  know 
your  strength  before  you  talk  of  Candidates,  at  least  before 
you  pledge  yourselves  to  them,  or  make  them  pledge  them- 
selves to  stand  ?  The  game  was  this.  A  Corporator  and 
an  Agitator  should  have  coalesced  on  the  Eepeal  principle. 
The  coalition  should  have  preceded  any  declaration  of  any 
candidate.  I  believe  it  might  have  been  well  if  I  were  the 
Agitator — well,  not  for  me,  but  for  the  cause.  That  plan, 
however,  is  knocked  on  the  head  by  the  premature  starting 
of  Ruthven.  Since  I  became  anything  of  a  public  man,  the 
starting  so  hastily  and  so  soon  of  Ruthven  was  the  most 
foolish  thing  I  ever  heard  of.  But  he  is  started.  He  must 
be  stuck  to,  or  the  popular  party  is  disgraced.  The  Plan, 
therefore,  was  stifled,  and  it  became  Ruthven  and  a  Corpo- 
rator. Our  man  is  chosen,  we  invite  the  junction  of  a  Corpo- 
rator, and  thereupon  you  go  dreaming  of  another  popular 
man  to  the  total  exclusion  of  a  Corporator,8  and  to  the  pre- 
vention of  our  taking  the  first  great  step  to  Repeal. 

I  can  hardly  tell  you  how  you  annoy  me.  It  will  be 
now  said  that  it  is  I  who  stand  in  the  way  of  Cornelius 
McLoughlin,  my  best  and  kindest  friend,  for  you  have  been 
already  talking  to  White  about  this  matter.  For  my  part, 
I  will  not  say  one  word  until  I  know  how  the  Constituency 
stands.  And  I  do  implore  of  you  to  wait  for  that  period 
before  you  start  any  new  project.  If  my  coalition  be 
destroyed,  the  Repeal  of  the  Union  is  thrown  back. 

Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


7  Cornelius  MacLoughlin,  mer- 
chant, an  old  member  of  the  '  Society 
of  United  Irishmen,'  will  be  remem- 
bered as  an  ally  in  the  struggle  for 


Catholic  Emancipation. 

8  It  will  be  remembered  that  the 
Dublin  Corporation  at  that  time  was 
an  Orange  body. 


1832  OBANGE   COALITION  FOB  REPEAL  309 

To  William  Scott,  High  Sheriff  of  Dublin. 

rrynane  Abbey  :  25th  Oct.  1832. 

My  dear  Sir,  —I  received  your  kind  and  welcome  letter 
only  last  night. 

I  answer  your  questions  at  once,  and  distinctly,  that, 
as  to  Tipperary,  I  would  respectfully  suggest  you  to  in- 
crease the  force  on  the  registry  of  Eepealers,  and  not  to 
commit  yourself  with  any  candidates  until  we  find  how 
sincerely  they  will  give  the  Eepeal  pledge.  We  are  sure  of 
Otway  Cave.  The  second  is  the  question.  My  letters  tell 
me  that  Wyse  starts  for  Waterford  and  Sheil9  for  Tippe- 
rary ;  but  my  maxim  is  to  be  perfectly  candid  with  every- 
body, and  I  do  not  hesitate  to  tell  you  that,  unless  Sheil 
gives  the  most  explicit  and  unequivocal  pledge  to  the  Eepeal 
—such  a  pledge  as  could  not  be  explained  away — I,  for  one, 
would  not  support  him.  I  know  him  well,  and  it  would 
require  a  stout  rope  to  keep  him  steady.  He  is  a  clever 
fellow,  and  would  be  of  use  if  we  steady  him ;  but  it  costs 
him  a  great  deal  of  trouble  by  not  going  straightforward. 
Secondly,  as  to  myself.  I  never  had,  nor  have  I,  any 
personal  views  on  Dublin.  I  am  quite  secure  in  my  native 
county.  I  do  not  think  three  per  cent,  of  the  voters  would 
vote  against  me ;  and  really  I  am  convinced  that  a  million 
of  money  will  not  render  my  return  doubtful.  It  will  not 
cost  me  one  single  shilling.  My  ambition  and,  if  you 
please,  my  vanity  are  most  abundantly  gratified.  I  have, 
therefore,  not  the  least  occasion  to  think  of  Dublin,  and 
rest  quite  assured  that  I  do  not  think  of  it  for  myself.  But 
you  should  know  all.  I  did  offer  the  Eecorder l  to  stand  for 
Dublin  along  with  him  if  he  thought  that  conjunction  would 
facilitate  his  return  upon  the  explicit  Eepeal  pledge — the 
open  and  avowed  basis  of  our  co-operation  to  be  the  Eepeal, 
and  nothing  but  the  Eepeal.  But  even  then  I  told  him  I 
would  part  Kerry  with  regret,  and  certainly  would  not  stand 

9  Afterwards  the  Eight  Hon.  B.       Tipperary. 

Lalor    Sheil,    British    Minister    at  *  The    Bight     Hon.     Frederic 

Florence.     He  was  duly  elected  for       Shaw. 


310     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vm. 

for  Dublin  at  all,  even  with  him,  unless  he  was  deliberately 
of  opinion  that  my  so  standing  was  essential  to  bring  him  in 
on  the  grounds  of  being  a  Eepealer.  I  need  not  add  that  he 
would  not  pledge  himself  to  the  Eepeal,  and  so  the  matter 
finally  ended.  Since  then  Euthven  has  been  put  forward 
without  my  concurrence  or  consent ;  but  I  cannot  separate 
from  my  party  merely  on  account  of  a  name,  so  I  must 
support  him,  and  there  is,  therefore,  not  room  for  myself, 
if  I  were  even  inclined  for  Dublin,  because  I  deem  it  quite 
essential  to  the  Eepeal  that  one  of  the  two  Dublin  repre- 
sentatives should  be  a  Corporator  as  well  as  a  Eepealer. 
My  object  is  to  combine  as  much  of  the  Corporation  as  I 
can,  and  all,  if  possible,  with  the  people,  in  order  to  carry 
the  Eepeal.  We  are  sure  of  the  people,  and  all  we  want  is 
the  Corporation.  I  think  you  made  a  display  of  consider- 
able strength,  constituted  as  the  common  council  now  is. 
They  were  in  1782,  and  later,  the  best  patriots  in  Ireland. 
I  want  to  see  them  so  again,  and  therefore  the  second 
candidate  for  Dublin  should  be  a  Corporator.  I  will  on 
this  subject  just  add  that  it  has  been  intimated  to  me 
(this  I  tell  you  in  confidence)  that  the  Government  would 
support  me  for  Dublin  if  I  coalesced  with  Sergeant  Perrin. 
They  have  not  committed  themselves ;  it  was  merely  an 
experiment,  but  it  totally  failed,  and  I  tell  it  to  you,  that 
you  may  judge  how  idle  the  calumnies  on  me  in  the  Go- 
vernment newspapers  are  on  the  subject  of  Dublin.  As  I 
said  of  Sheil,  it  saves  me  all  manner  of  trouble  to  be  candid 
and  undisguised  and  straightforward.  I  wish  Sheil  had 
the  common  sense  to  see  how  much  better  in  point,  even  of 
policy,  to  say  nothing  of  principle,  my  plan  is.  THIRDLY. 
You  next  ask  me  whether  I  will  support  you.  My  answer 
is,  really  I  am  pledged  to  Euthven  as  one,  and  I  now  heartily, 
readily,  and  at  once  pledge  myself  to  you  as  the  second.  I 
will  support  you  in  person,  by  my  influence,  and  I  will  aid 
a  subscription  for  the  expenses  of  the  contest,  putting 
down  in  the  first  instance  £50  for  Euthven  and  £50  for 
your  return.  I  will,  besides,  get  you  some,  probably  several, 
volunteer  agents.  The  election,  even  if  contested,  cannot 


1832  TORIES   COALESCE   WITH  HIM  311 

last  more  than  two  days.  We  will  bribe  none,  and  there- 
fore I  do  reckon  with  confidence  that  less  than  £500  will 
cover  all  you  can  personally  have  to  pay.  I  would  not,  for 
one,  consent  to  have  you  injure  yourself  in  such  a  contest. 
I  will  address  the  Freemen.  I  may  possibly  make 
some  impression.  The  Coalmeters,2  differing  with  me,  as 
Dalton  and  most  of  them  did,  in  politics  and  religion,  had 
no  more  warm  friend  to  obtain  them  compensation,  and 
perhaps  few  more  useful.  I  believe  my  adhesion  to  their 
cause  decided  the  question  in  their  favour.  I  could  easily 
have  roused  an  opposition,  which  probably  would  have  been 
fatal  to  them,  and  some  of  my  own  party,  whom  I  esteem, 
urged  me  to  that  course.  Are  you  aware  that  it  was  I  who 
fought  out  Sir  A.  B.  King's  pension  for  him  ?  I  can  positively 
assert  that  he  never  would  have  got  it  but  for  me.  I  tell  you 
these  things  to  show  the  Freemen  that,  although  King  was 
Deputy  Grand  Master  of  Orangemen,3  and  had,  on  the  King's 
visit,  behaved  treacherously  to  myself,  yet  I  got  an  act  of 
justice  done  for  him  when  his  own  party  literally  threw 
him  overboard. 

1  hope  to  be  in  Dublin  in  a  fortnight,  and  then  we  will 
go  to  work.     It  would  be  most  essential  to  have  a  Eepeal 
Club  composed  of  men  of  all  parties.     At  all  events,  we 
must  get  up  a  grand  Eepeal  dinner.     It  is  desirable  to  have 
persons  of  every  creed  and  colour  at  that  dinner.     I  will 
certainly  have  such  a  dinner  '  to  celebrate  the  memory  of 
the  Volunteers  of  1782.'     I  will  arrange  with  you  the  prac- 
tical details  of  these  agitations  when  we  meet.     They  all 
must  have  a  tendency  to  the  practical  measures  which  will 
return  you  and  Euthven  free  of  expense,  and   then   the 
practical  measures  which  will  restore  the  Parliament   to 
College  Green,  not  as  a  triumph  of  one  party  over  another, 
but  by  a  combination  of  all. 

I  am  glad  to  find  you  can  be  useful  also  in  Down.     It  is 
shocking  that  an  Irish  county  should  return  a  man  who 

2  Corporate  officers,  long  extinct,       still  enforced  in  England. 

who  had  authority  to  levy  toll  on  '  See  letter  of  July  19,  1830. 

coal  entering  Dublin.     This  toll  is 


312     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.VIII. 


bears  the  odious  title  of  the  Assassin  of  his  country — Castle- 
reagh.4 

There  never  yet  was  anything  so  absurd  as  the  appre- 
hension of  an  ascendancy.  The  time  is  gone  by  when 
either  Catholic  or  Protestant  could  establish  an  ascendancy. 
We  want  rather  to  combine  against  the  spread  of  infidelity 
than  to  apprehend  an  over  zeal  at  the  present  day  of  any 
sect  or  persuasion.  Men  do  not  now  quarrel  about  religion 
unless  politics  interfere,  or  personal  or  public  gains.  The 
pounds,  shillings  and  pence  are  the  causes  of  such  quarrels 
now ;  and  take  away  the  exclusive  right  to  these,  and  you 
take  away  the  possibility  of  quarrel. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

(Private.)  Cork  :  October  29th,  1832. 

My  dear  Barrett, — Insert  in  your  paper  the  following  : 
*  Birth  at  Darrynane  Abbey,  the  lady  of  N.  I.  Ffrench,  of 
Fort  William,  in  the  County  of  Roscommon,  Esq.,  and 
youngest  daughter  of  Daniel  O'Connell,  M.P.,  of  a  son5  and 
heir.' 

I  send  you  a  broadside  against  Pierce  Mahony.6  In- 
sert it  on  Wednesday,  and  send  20  newspapers  to  '  John 
Boyse,  Esq.,  Limerick ; '  his  clerk  will  call  and  pay  you. 

The  Tythe  trials  are  ending  in  smoke.  Hodnett  was 
convicted  in  the  City  before  Baron  Pennefather,  who,  it  is 
clear,  though  it  is  not  safe  to  say  so,  behaved  exceedingly  ill 
to  him,  and  sentenced  him  to  three  months'  imprison- 
ment— an  excessively  severe  sentence.  There  are  many 
others  for  trial,  but  who  have  foolishly  run  themselves 
into  the  meshes  of  the  Law  by  posting  aiiti-tythe  notices, 
which  is  a  transportable  offence.  Having  secured  them 
against  transportation  —  that  is,  having  a  private  — 
mark  ! — a  private  understanding  that  they  should  not  be 


4  Lord  Castlereagh,  when  Irish 
Secretary  in  1798-1800,  crushed  the 
legislative  independence  of  Ireland 
by  carrying  the  Union. 

5  This   '  son '   is   now  Assistant 


Registrar  of  Deeds,  Dublin. 

6  See  letter  of  Oct.  30,  1830.  It 
is  pleasant  to  find  O'Connell  and 
Mahony  good  friends  in  the  end. 


1832  ELECTED  FOB  DUBLIN  313 

transported,  I  have  got  them  to  plead  guilty.  They  will 
be  sentenced  to-morrow,  and  it  is  understood  that  their 
sentences  will  be  light.  If  I  had  been  in  Ireland,  I  hope, 
and  perhaps  believe,  that  these  persons  would  not  have  got 
themselves  into  the  trammels  of  the  Whiteboy  Acts.  You 
know  I  steered  the  Catholic  cause  for  twenty  years  and 
upwards  free  of  all  such  dangers. 

But  these  incidents  will  not  have  the  least  influence  in 
retarding  the  downfall  of  tythes.  On  the  contrary,  they 
have  an  excellent  popular  effect,  keeping  the  people  from 
violating  the  Law,  but  at  the  same  time  making  them  doubly 
anxious  to  obtain  redress  by  legal  means. 

We  are  certain  of  two  Eepealers  for  the  City  of  Cork, 
and  I  verily  believe  two  also  for  the  County.  The  Conser- 
vatives are  totally  impotent,  and  they  are  backing  down 
to  aid  Liberals.  But  it  will  not  do,  the  people  insist  on 
Eepealers. 

Youghal  certainly  gives  a  Eepealer,  Mallow  another,  and 
I  am  much  deceived  if  Kinsale  and  Bandon  do  not  do  as 
much ;  Kinsale  I  may  say  with  much  confidence,  Bandon 
with  much  probability.  The  conduct  of  the  Government 
makes  it  imperative  on  every  man  to  be  a  Eepealer. 

I  expect  to  be  in  Dublin  within  ten  days. 

Always  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

In  the  Election  for  Dublin  City  at  this  time,  O'Connell 
coalesced  with  Edward  Southwell  Euthven,  a  Protestant, 
who  had  previously  sat  for  Downpatrick.  He  was  the  son- 
in-law  of  Sir  Philip  Crampton,  a  staunch  Tory,  and  the 
brother-in-law  of  John  Crampton,  afterwards  Minister 
Plenipotentiary  to  various  Courts.  O'Connell  and  Euthven 
were  returned,  the  defeated  candidates  being  Sir  George 
Eich  and  John  Beattie  West. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatricJi. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  7th  Nov.  1832. 

.  .  .  See  Eichard  Farrell,  the  Catholic  barrister — he 
is  Chairman  of  Kilkenny  County ;  and  let  him  know  the 


314     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vra. 

precise  day  I  will  be  in  Dublin — the  17th  inst.  Let  him 
get  me,  two  or  three  days  after  that,  to  argue  the  Trimbles- 
ton  cause. 

See  the  Managers  of  as  many  Catholic  Charities  as  you 
can.  Tell  them  of  my  time  of  arrival.  In  particular,  see 
a  namesake  of  yours,  and  find  from  him  whether  I  am 
not  bound  to  preside  first  at  his  dinner.  See  Father 
L 'Estrange  on  this  subject,  and  let  not  these  Charities  clash. 
I  am  literally  terrified  from  writing  to  any  of  them  lest  I 
should  commit  myself  to  an  engagement  which  I  may  not 
be  able  to  keep.  At  one  time  two  Charities  advertised  that 
I  would  preside  at  each  on  the  same  day,  and  I  had  not 
influence  enough  with  either  to  induce  a  postponement. 
This  makes  me  excessively  cautious  on  these  points.  .  .  . 

The  tune  is  come  to  '  agitate,  agitate,  agitate.'  If  it 
were  possible  to  induce  a  co-operation  between  the  people 
and  the  Corporate  powers,  Lord  Anglesey  would  be  dis- 
armed of  '  his  jurors,'  and  then  I  would  make  him  a  present 
of  all  imaginable  corruption  and  profligacy  on  the  Bench, 
if  any  such  there  be. 

How  shortsighted,  how  blind  must  the  men  be  who  do 
not  see  the  advantage  of  increasing  our  own  forces  by 
taking  in  deserters  from  the  enemy,  unless  those  deserters 
give  themselves  up  tied  hand  and  foot !  Above  all  things, 
not  to  see  that  the  oppressions  under  which  Ireland  labours 
are  now  continued,  because  the  Corporate  Party  furnish 
willing  jurors  against  the  people.  The  Lancers  and  the 
Artillery  are  nothing  compared  to  the  jurors.  If  I  had 
jurors  honest  I  would  repeal  the  Union  in  one  month.  I 
long  now  to  be  on  the  scene  of  political  action. 

Yours,  &c.  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Two  gentlemen  named  Fitz  Simon  were  in  Parliament 
at  this  time — Nicholas,  finally  the  police  magistrate  and 
knight,  and  Christopher,  finally  Clerk  of  the  Hanaper, 
who  had  married  Ellen,  the  eldest  daughter  of  O'Connell. 
Both  men  will  be  found  noticed  in  these  letters.  Some 
confusion  arose  between  '  the  two  Dromios.'  Nicholas  was 


1832  ELECTION   GOSSIP  315 

stout,  however,  and  as  Christopher  had  a  halt,  caused 
by  orthopaedic  peculiarity,  the  first  became  known  as 
'  FAT- Simon,'  and  the  latter  as  '  Fooi-Simon.' 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Tralee  :  20th  Dec.  1832. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  am  sincerely  thankful  to  you 
for  the  punctuality  and  accuracy  of  your  intelligence. 
Everything  has — blessed  be  God! — hitherto  passed  in  the 
most  satisfactory  manner.  If  Meath  and  Dublin  County 
do  as  well,  why  we  shall  be  all  triumph — and  the  best  kind 
of  triumph,  that  which  furnishes  hope,  and  indeed  appears 
to  reduce  hope  into  the  certainty  of  being  able  to  accom- 
plish something  for  Ireland.  My  return  for  Dublin  unso- 
licited, and  even  unavowed  by  me,  is  perhaps  the  greatest 
triumph  my  countrymen  have  ever  given  me.  I  am  more 
anxious  than  I  can  possibly  express  to  be  able  to  accept 
the  seat  for  Dublin,  and  I  have  done  everything  in  my 
power  to  procure  a  substitute  for  Kerry,7  but  hitherto  in 
vain.  However,  between  you  and  me,  I  will  continue  those 
exertions,  and  I  still  have  some  hopes,  although  faint  ones, 
of  being  able  to  succeed.  We  shall  see.  It  would  be  most 
important  to  me  to  be  successful.  All  this,  however,  has 
totally  precluded  the  possibility  of  my  going  to  assist 
Nichs.  Fitz Simon.  Be  assured  that  I  have  felt  the  deepest 
anxiety  to  be  with  him,  and,  if  it  were  possible,  I  should 
have  been  aiding  him.  Yet  I  think  anybody  that  recollects 
that  I  was  not  able  to  give  Morgan  an  hour  in  Meath,  or 
to  return  to  assist  Fitz  Simon,  my  son-in-law,  in  Dublin 
County,  will  not  be  difficult  to  persuade  that  my  business 
in  Kerry  has  been  too  important  to  enable  me  to  have  left 
this.  Browne,  Lord  Kenmare's  brother,  resigned  the  Shriev- 
alty to  contest  this  county.  I  had  therefore  a  contest  to 
prepare  for,  but  he  has  fled  from  the  field,  and  unless  he 
changes  his  mind  again,  or  sets  up  some  at  present  '  great 
unknown,'  there  will  be  a  quiet  election ;  but  this  is  a 

7  The  seat  vacated  by  the  Liber-      son-in-law,    Charles    O'Connell    of 
ator  in  Kerry  was  at  last  filled  by  his       Bahoss. 


316     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN  ELL    CH.  vin. 

state  of  things  which  beyond  any  other  requires  the 
utmost  attention.  I  must  not  allow  a  Boyton  trick  to  be 
played  off  against  me  or  my  party.  It  is  (you  therefore 
see)  absolutely  impossible  for  me  to  leave  Kerry  before  the 
election  is  over.  Make  '  the  facts '  my  excuse  to  my  most 
respected  friend  John  Power.8  I  do  solemnly  declare  I 
would  go  as  far  to  serve  a  son  of  his  as  I  would  for  one  of 
my  own  sons.  I  approve  highly  of  the  calling  of  the 
National  Council  for  the  15th  of  January.  It  ought  to  be 
done  as  it  was  in  the  last  year — first,  by  a  circular  from 
the  Trades  Political  Union ;  and  afterwards,  by  a  circular 
from  the  National  Political  Union.  The  letters  should  be 
sent  to  every  Irish  Peer  and  to  every  person  elected  to  the 
House  of  Commons  in  any  part  of  Ireland ;  in  short,  to  all 
the  Irish  members  without  distinction. 

Gratefully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Merrion  Square  :  10th  January,  1833. 

.  .  .  See  John  Power  about  his  son-in-law.  Let  him  not 
listen  to  base  advisers.  He  is  ruined  for  ever  if  he  shrinks 
from  the  people  at  this  juncture.9 

O'Connell  had  denounced  the  Whigs,  and  Lord  Dun- 
cannon  was  now  no  longer  member  for  Kilkenny.  Shortly 
previous  to  this  date  he  wrote  to  O'Connell,  saying  that  it 
was  not  his  intention  to  offer  himself  to  that  county,  but 
would  do  so  for  some  place  in  England,  '  where  the  same 
objections  do  not  exist  as  I  find  in  Ireland,  as  I  am  sure 
you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  think  that  on  the  questions 
of  Eeform  and  most  others  that  in  England  occupy  the 
attention  of  the  public  I  can  fairly  meet  a  free  constituenc}7.' 
But  the  loss  of  Lord  Duncannon's  popularity  and  seat  in 


8  John  Power,  the  distiller,  one 
of  the  trustees  of  '  the  Fund,'  and 
for  whom  O'Connell  subsequently 
obtained  a  baronetcy.  His  son 
James  became  member  for  Wexford 
in  1835. 


9  Nicholas  Fitz  Simon,  who  mar- 
ried Katharine,  daughter  of  Sir  John 
Power,  defeated  Thomas  Bernard  for 
the  King's  County,  and  continued  to 
represent  it  in  successive  parlia- 
ments. 


1833  A   SECBET  LEAGUE   ORGANISED  317 

Kilkenny — for  which  the  Great  Agitator  was  mainly  an- 
swerable— caused  no  interruption  in  their  epistolary  inter- 
course. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

(Confidential.)  Merrion  Square :  14th  January,  1833. 

My  Lord, — You  are  the  only  person  connected  with 
power  to  whom  I  could  write  what  I  know  and  what  I  be- 
lieve, and  indeed  I  should  not  feel  at  rest  if  I  did  not  tell 
you  that  the  Government  can  not  appreciate  the  exact 
state  of  this  country.  Stanley  has  had  considerable  suc- 
cess in  enforcing  the  Tithes.  He  has  overawed  many, 
very  many  parishes,  and  there  was  an  adequate  force  for 
that  purpose,  but  the  result  is  just  what  those  who  know 
Ireland  foresaw — the  spirit  which  is  curbed  by  day  walks 
abroad  by  night.  '  Whiteboyism  '  is  substituted  for  open 
meetings.  There  is  an  almost  universal  organisation  going 
on.  It  is  not  confined  to  one  or  two  counties.  It  is,  I 
repeat,  almost  universal.  I  do  not  believe  there  is  any 
man  in  the  rank  of  a  comfortable  farmer  engaged — not 
one  man  probably  entitled  to  vote.  But  all  the  poverty  of 
our  counties  is  being  organised.  There  never  yet  was,  as 
I  believe,  so  general  a  disposition  for  that  species  of  insur- 
rectionary outrages.  We  will  do  all  we  can  to  check  it. 
I  believe  that  we  will  keep  the  County  of  Meath  free  be- 
cause we  have  a  County  Club  in  operation — persons  in 
whom  the  people  have  confidence,  and  whose  advice  they 
will  be  likely  to  follow. 

You  may  be  quite  sure  that,  if  I  were  not  convinced  of 
the  frightful  extent  of  the  impending  mischief,  I  would  not 
trouble  you.  All  I  can  add  in  the  way  of  advice  is — that 
the  more  troops  are  sent  over  here  the  better.  In  every 
point  of  view  it  is  best  to  increase  the  King's  troops.  If 
the  Yeomanry  are  called  out  the  consequences  may  be 
terrific.  Avoid  that  of  all  things ;  they  will  prove  to  be 
weakness,  not  strength. 

I  know  you  will  excuse  me  for  my  cause  in  troubling 
you  at  this  length.  But,  indeed,  you,  who  are  acquainted 


318     COEEE8PONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vm. 

with  the  history  of  Irish  affairs,  must  have  been  prepared 
for  this  result.  The  insanity  of  delivering  this  country  to 
so  weak  a  man  as  Lord  Anglesey,  and  so  obstinate  a  maniac 
as  Stanley,  is  unequalled  even  in  our  annals. 

Pray  pardon  me  for  using  harsh  words,  but,  really,  I 
cannot  endure  with  patience  the  miserable  misgovernment 
which  has  brought  us  to  this  state,  nor  can  I  without 
anguish  contemplate  the  approaching  crimes  and  punish- 
ments. You  will  readily  believe  that  I  will  use  all  my 
influence  to  stop  the  career  of  those  who  are  engaged  in 
urging  on  the  people. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  Michael  Staunton. 

Bangor  :  January  25th,  1833. 

My  dear  Staunton, — Many,  many  thanks  for  your 
manual.1  I  can  not  express  to  you  how  I  prize  it.  I  had 
not  time  to  concert  measures  to  have  it  printed,  and  I  must 
own  I  want  to  have  some  of  the  effect  of  the  novelty  to  the 
English  members  of  your  views.  But  you  may  depend  on 
it  you  shall  not  be  stripped  of  the  Laurels  you  so  well 
merit.  My  sincere  conviction  is,  that  your  financial  dis- 
overies — for  so  I  may  call  them — and  your  elucidations  of 
the  trickery  of  Spring  Bice  and  Parnell,  have  done  more 
to  advance  the  cause  of  the  Kepeal  than  any  other  man — 
your  humble  servant  not  excepted.  I  say  this  with  perfect 
truth. 

I  want  three  documents,  which  you  must  get  copied  and 
sent  to  me.  First,  Lord  Anglesey's  letter  to  Kertland.2  It 
will  be  found  in  the  newspapers  between  the  1st  of  October, 
1830,  and  1st  of  February,  1831.  Second,  Lord  Anglesey's 
letter  during  the  late  contest,  denying  that  the  Govern- 
ment took  any  share  in  the  election.  Thirdly,  my  letter  to 


1  Hints  to  Hardinge  (the  Irish 
Secretary),  just  as  Staunton  had 
previously  produced  Lessons  for 
Lamb. 


2  Promising  that  the  right  of 
public  meeting  should  not  be  heed- 
lessly disturbed. 


1833  'THE   VOLUNTEERS'  319 

my  constituents  of  Waterford,  for  which  the  motion  for 
an  attachment  was  made  against  you.  I  greatly  want 
these  documents,  and  have  no  opportunity  of  getting  them 
in  London.  Anglesey's  two  letters  are  short  and  could 
be  copied  in  three  minutes.  Pray,  pray  get  them  copied, 
and  send  them  to  me  without  any  delay.  I  want  to  make 
use  of  them  the  first  day's  debate — say  on  Saturday,  the 
second.  Do  not  delay  sending  me  Anglesey's  two  letters 
the  post  after  you  receive  this ;  the  other  is  longer,  and  may 
be  delayed  another  day.  I  will  do  as  much  for  you  one 
day  or  another.  I  will  write  you  or  Barrett  private  corre- 
spondence whenever  anything  is  worth  sending.3  "We  had  a 
most  excellent  passage.  I  hope  to  reach  Shrewsbury  to- 
morrow, as  I  am  bespoke  to  the  public  dinner  at  Birmingham 
on  Saturday. 

Yours  very  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Bangor  :  January  25th,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  want  you  to  put  your  shoulders 
to  '  the  Volunteers.' 4  Get  young  barristers  and  other  good 
Agitators  to  attend  every  meeting,  and  make  them  do  busi- 
ness. The  objects  are — petitions  from  every  parish,  national 
rent  from  every  parish,  an  arbitration  tribunal  in  every 
parish.  There  is,  as  a  preliminary,  the  appointment  of 
three  persons  for  every  county,  five  for  every  barony,  seven 
for  every  parish.  These  persons'  duties  are — the  three  for 
the  counties  to  attend,  that  the  five  for  each  Barony  report 
the  progress  of  the  parishes,  and  the  seven  in  each  parish 
to  get  the  Petitions  forwarded,  the  national  rent  collected, 
the  Arbitration  tribunal  established,  and  the  Volunteers 
arranged  to  prevent  Whiteboyism,  riots  and  breaches  of 
the  peace.  I  will  write  these  details  to  Dwyer  before  the 
next  day  of  meeting.  In  the  meantime  get  as  many  work- 

3  The  London  letter  '  from  our       league  was  suppressed  by  proclama- 
own  correspondent.'  tion,  he  started  '  the  Volunteers  for 

4  When      O'Connell's     political      the  Repeal  of  the  Union.' 


320     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vnr 

ing  men  as  possible  in  my  absence  to  attend  the  Volunteers 
on  Tuesday  next,  and  every  subsequent  Tuesday. 

I  have  got  a  house  in  Berkeley  Square  at  Ten  guineas 
a  week ;  not  dear.  Direct  to  me  there. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  31st  January,  1833. 

The  Ministry  are  greatly  puzzled.  They  know  not 
what  to  do.  As  to  Ireland  they  intend  to  do  just  nothing 
unless  we  drive  them  to  it.  Lord  Anglesey  returns  to 
Ireland  because  no  other  man  can  be  found  to  undertake 
Stanley's  dirty  work.  The  Duke  of  Leinster  has  even  been 
spoken  of  as  a  Lord-Lieutenant.  What  folly  !  They  may 
as  well  talk  of  Lord  Cloncurry. 

2d  Feby.  1833. 

Send  me  a  list  of  the  Barrack  Board,  with  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  station  in  life,  wealth,  and  character  of  each 
member. 

The  King's  Speech  at  this  time  urged  drastic  measures 
of  Coercion  for  Ireland,  and  avowed  an  unalterable  resolve 
to  maintain  the  Legislative  Union.  O'Connell  stigmatised 
this  as  a  '  brutal  and  bloody  speech,'  and  Lord  John  Eussell 
moved  that  his  words  be  taken  down. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

14  Albemarle  St. :  Feb.  10. 

My  dear  Friend,  ...  Do  not  be  alarmed  about  my 
health.  The  atrocious  attempt  to  extinguish  public  liberty 
with  which  Ireland  is  menaced  has  made  me  young  again. 
I  feel  the  vigour  of  youth  in  the  elastic  spring  of  my  hate  of 
Ministerial  tyranny. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

London :  Saturday,  16th  February,  1833. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  proposed  to  myself  to  send  you  for 
publication  on  Monday  an  address  to  the  Irish  People  on 
the  present  truly  awful  crisis  of  public  affairs.  But  I  have 


1833  A   CRISIS  821 

been  occupied  with  conferences  all  day  with  Irish  and 
British  members  of  the  Commons,  and  I  derive  much 
consolation  from  being  able  to  tell  you  that  not  only  are 
the  popular  Irish  members  firm  and  unanimous,  but  that 
there  are  a  greater  number  far  than  I  could  possibly  ex- 
pect of  the  British  members  determined  to  resist  the  atro- 
cious tyranny  with  which  Earl  Grey  has  the  unheard  of 
audacity  to  dare  to  threaten  Ireland.  Talk  of  an  Union, 
indeed,  between  the  two  countries  after  presuming  to 
attempt  to  outlaw  the  inhabitants  of  one  great  portion  of 
the  Empire ! ! 

But  the  extreme  despotism  of  the  proposed  measures  has 
a  tendency  to  disgust  every  friend  to  liberty,  and  in  England 
we  shall  certainly  get  immense  support  out  of  doors. 

'  In  the  meantime,  pray  use  my  name  to  conjure  the 
people — FIKST,  to  be  perfectly  peaceable;  no  outbreak, 
no  violence.  On  the  contrary,  prove  the  absolute  mad- 
ness of  doing  the  business  of  our  enemies  by  any  species 
of  violation  of  the  Law.  Secondly,  get  the  Clergy,  if 
possible,  and  the  laity  unanimously  to  petition,  PETITION, 
petition,  petition  against  these  measures.  Let  us  have  firm, 
respectful,  strong  petitions  from  every  part  of  Ireland. 

Announce  an  address  from  me  to  the  People  of  Ireland 
to  be  published  in  your  paper.  Let  there  be  no  despair ; 
the  constitutional  battle  for  Irish  Liberty  is  not  yet  lost, 
neither  shall  it  with  the  blessing  of  God.  I  repeat,  let  no 
man  despair.  On  the  contrary,  call  on  the  friends  of  free- 
dom to  insist  that  their  representatives  shall  do  their  duty. 

I  have  not  time  this  day  to  write  more.  Let  Peace, 
order,  and  constitutional  exertion  be  our  motto. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  17th  Feby.  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  want  the  list  of  the  Ballast 
Office,  with  an  exact  description  of  each  member,  and  the 
names  of  anti-Corporation  witnesses  as  speedily  as  possible. 

You  have  seen  the  project  of  Ministerial  despotism.5     I 

5  Lord  Grey's  Coercion  Bill. 
VOL.    I.  Y 


322     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vin. 

have  reason  to  believe  it  will  be  strongly  opposed  here.  The 
Irish,  of  course,  will  fight  it  inch  by  inch.  We  begin  to- 
morrow, nor  will  they  be  able  to  do  anything  but  fight  the 
preliminary  steps  to-morrow.  I  will  lead  the  ball. 

There  is  nothing  so  necessary  as  to  pour  the  vial  of 
popular  indignation  on  all  the  Irish  members  who  are  liable 
to  popular  influence  and  yet  desert  their  colours  on  this 
vital  occasion.  Send  me  every  Evening  Mail 6  which  contains 
any  atrociously  bloody  passage. 

It  is  pleasant  to  find  so  general  a  disposition  on  the  part 
of  the  English  members  to  oppose  the  *  Despotism  Bill.' 

I  need  not  tell  you  to  assure  our  friends  that,  if  I  am 
not  much  mistaken,  they  will  be  pleased  with  the  exertions 

•of  the  Irish  representatives.  ~,.~ 

DANIEL  0  CONNELL. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

London :  Monday,  February  18,  1833. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  cannot  send  my  address  to  the 
people  of  Ireland  this  day.  I  have  been  too  much  engaged 
on  Irish  affairs  to  write  with  the  calmness  I  could  desire. 
Besides,  my  blood  boils  with  too  much  indignation  to  permit 
me  to  suggest  the  minuter  details  of  the  proceedings  which 
the  noble  and  generous,  but  long  oppressed  Irish  nation 
should  adopt  in  order  to  obviate  the  infliction  of  the  last 
and  greatest  outrage  which  the  Whig  despotism  has  as  yet 
attempted.  I  trust  and  hope  they  will  attempt  it  in  vain. 
But  although  I  cannot  enter  into  details,  I  can  beg  of  you 
to  impress  on  the  minds  of  the  people  the  leading  topics  to 
which  they  should  turn  their  attention.  First :  let  there 
be  perfect  peace  and  tranquillity.  Even  the  Whitefeet 
themselves,  all  miscreants  though  they  be,  may  understand 
that  it  is  by  peaceful  conduct  alone,  by  abstaining  from 
further  crime,  they  can  expect  to  see  themselves  relieved 
from  any  of  the  grievances  under  which  they  labour. 
Secondly :  call  for  petitions — strong,  vigorous,  energetic 
petitions — in  decorous  but  firm  language.  Thirdly  :  collect 
in  detail  all  the  police  and  magisterial  outrages,  and  let  us 

6  A  strong  and  consistent  denunciator  of  O'Connell. 


1833  THE  EEV.  DE.  BOYTON  323 

have  those  details  for  Parliament  with  real  signatures  of 
persons  who  are  ready  to  vouch  on  oath  the  truth  of  such 
statements.  Fourthly  :  let  each  petition  describe  the  state 
of  the  vicinity  of  the  petitioners.  If  tranquil,  let  them  say 
so;  if  disturbed,  state  the  nature  and  causes  of  the  dis- 
turbances. Let  me  implore  you  not  to  injure  commercial 
credit  by  calling  for  a  run  on  the  Bank  for  gold.  The  run 
will  take  place  of  itself  to  the  last  bank  note  if  the  atrocious 
Algerine  code  be  enacted.  I  write  in  haste. 
Yours  very  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNBLL. 

The  Eev.  Dr.  Boyton,  F.T.C.D.,  was  a  sort  of  Tory 
O'Connell,  who  acted  as  the  mouthpiece  of  patriotic  Pro- 
testants. Even  outwardly  he  had  much  of  O'ConnelTs 
muscular  development  and  girth  of  frame  ;  he  had  all  his 
vigour,  and  not  a  little  of  his  eloquence.  He  was  nick- 
named, moreover,  '  Bully  Boyton.'  When  Lord  Anglesey 
threatened  to  blockade  the  Irish  ports  and  effect  a  total 
suspension  of  intercourse  between  England  and  Ireland, 
Dr.  Boyton  dryly  asked  which  of  the  parties  would  be  the 
worse  for  it — 

'  England,  whose  exports  are  articles  which  derive  their 
value  from  the  great  manufacturing  ingenuity  exerted  on 
materials  of  small  intrinsic  worth ;  or  Ireland,  whose  ex- 
ports chiefly  consist  of  articles  of  food — the  staff  of  human 
life  ?  If  the  gallant  Viceroy  could  suspend  the  intercourse 
between  the  countries,  and  prevent  our  exporting  Irish  beef, 
butter,  and  corn  to  England,  why  I  really  think  that  in  so 
awful  an  extremity  we  could  manage  to  eat  those  commo- 
dities ourselves !  Whereas  it  would  task  the  powers  of  even 
John  Bull  to  masticate  a  Sheffield  whittle,  a  Worcester 
teacup,  or  a  Kidderminster  carpet ! ' 

Lord  Anglesey  forgot  that  the  business  of  a  Viceroy  is  to 
act,  not  to  talk.  During  a  formal  visit  to  Cork  in  1832  he 
complained  that  the  people  showed  none  of  their  former 
warmth  in  greeting  him,  and  in  replying  to  a  deputation 
calling  for  the  encouragement  of  Irish  manufactures  he  dis- 
cussed the  memorial  sentence  by  sentence,  and  with  mar- 
vellous garrulity  and  amplitude  of  digression.  '  For  myself, 
I  am  suffering  martyrdom  between  the  parties ; '  and  again : 
'  I  found  myself  at  variance  with  two  parties  which  are 

Y   2 


824     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  YIII. 


struggling  for  their  own  private  and  factious  ends — retard- 
ing improvement,  injuring  the  country,  and  obstructing 
the  measures  of  the  Government.  One  of  those  parties  I 
have  put  down,  and  you  want  to  mount  and  bestride  them  ; 
but  that  shall  not  be,  for  I  will  master  you  both  !  And  with 
respect  to  the  Eepeal  of  the  Union,'  turning  abruptly  from 
the  point  on  which  he  had  been  dilating,  '  to  enable  any  im- 
partial man  to  decide  upon  the  advantage  of  such  a  measure, 
I  would  only  ask  him  to  visit  the  quays  of  Dublin,  and  I 
would  there  inquire  of  him,  "What  would  become  of  this  trade 
of  the  country  if  severed  from  England  ?  "  What  of  your 
pigs,  your  corn,  your  butter  ?  Why,  I  would  but  ask  my 
friend  Sir  P.  Malcolm  and  four  gun-brigs  to  blockade 
every  river  in  your  country.'  The  Viceroy  here  turned 
round  and  appealed  to  the  gallant  admiral,  who  bowed  his 
concurrence. 

Later  on  the  Lord  Lieutenant  said,  '  You  call  upon  me 
for  an  inquiry  into  the  circumstances  of  the  military  inter- 
ference at  the  Blarney  meeting.'  Dr.  Baldwin,  as  spokesman, 
replied  that  they  did  not  mean  to  charge"  the  military  with 
having  dispersed  the  meeting,  but  at  the  desire  and  by  the 
instructions  of  Sir  William  Gossett.  At  the  mention  of 
this  name  the  Viceroy  exclaimed,  '  There  is  no  such  person 
as  Sir  William  Gossett.  I  am  Sir  William  Gossett.  He  is 
my  secretary ;  I  adopt  his  acts,  and  I  will  answer  for  them.'7 

In  succeeding  letters  the  name  of  Boyton  figures.  The 
first  allusion  to  him  is  in  that  of  July  17,  1832. 8 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

(Confidential.)  14  Albemarle  St. :  21st  February,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — The  conversation  you  had  with 
Doctor  Boyton  fills  me  with  pleasure.  It  is  true  it  may 


7  O'Connell  often  speaks  of  Lord 
Anglesey  as   '  vain,  silly,  sensitive, 
and    despotic,'    and    it    cannot    be 
denied  that  some  eccentricity  marked 
the   Viceroy's  conduct   and    policy. 
Much  of  this  was  due  to  the  state  of 
his  nerves,  of  which  the  world  knew 
nothing ;  but  the  private  journal  of 
his  physician,  Sir  James  Murray,  is 
now  before  me,  and  reveals  the  ex- 
tent of  his  suffering. 

8  Ogilvie's  Imperial  Dictionary 


explains  '  a  Conservative  '  as  one  of 
the  political  party  which  sprung  up 
about  the  time  of  the  passing  of  the 
Eeform  Bill.  But  the  word  was 
used  by  Boyton  ten  years  previously. 
The  Conservative  Society  had  been 
organised  and  so  styled  by  Boyton  as 
a  counterpoise  to  the  Catholic  As- 
sociation ;  and  the  word  '  Conser- 
vative '  was  soon  after  adopted  by 
the  whole  Tory  party. 


1833  OEANGE   CO-OPEBATION  SOUGHT  325 

lead  to  nothing.  It  may  be  an  ebullition  of  disappointed 
expectation  on  his  part,  but  I  hope  it  is  rather  a  symptom 
of  his  really  entertaining  those  sentiments  of  honest  Irish- 
ism which  I  often  and  with  pleasure  perceive  to  mix  with 
his  party  politics.  He  is,  at  all  events,  right  in  his  con- 
jecture that  the  policy  of  this  Administration  is  purely 
English  domination  over  the  Irish  of  all  parties.  This  is 
their  principle.  It  requires  only  a  rational  calculation  of  self- 
interest  to  see  whether  it  be  better  for  any  one  party  (better 
purely  as  a  party)  to  join  the  English  Government  in  advan- 
cing their  domination,  or  to  join  the  Irish  people  at  large  hi 
insisting  on  the  self-government  of  a  domestic  legislature. 
If  Dr.  Boyton  comes  to  perceive  that  as  a  partizan  he 
would  be  worse  off  than  as  a  repealing  Irishman,  contrive 
some  mode  to  let  him  know  that  I  will  most  cheerfully 
co-operate  with  him  and  his  friends.  The  basis  of  our 
co-operation  shall  be  as  distinct  and  explicit  as  he  pleases. 
It  shall  be  as  binding  me  and  mine  in  writing.  It  may  be 
on  his  part  merely  verbal.  I  will  bind  myself  to  secrecy — 
that  is,  to  observe  the  strictest  silence  on  everything  coming 
from  him  unless  by  his  express  permission  in  writing.  I 
will  require  no  secrecy  or  concealment  by  him  of  any  thing 
coming  from  me,  leaving  him  at  his  fullest  discretion  to 
publish  or  conceal,  to  communicate  to  the  public  or  to  a 
few,  just  as  he  pleases. 

The  full  preservation  of  all  vested  interests  would  be  an 
indispensable  preliminary  stipulation.  No  living  man  to 
be  made  worse  than  he  is. 

A  total  abhorrence  of  any  approach  to  or  attempt  at, 
directly  or  indirectly,  any  Catholic  supremacy.  The  perfect, 
entire,  and  honorable  maintenance  of  Protestant  equality  of 
rights,  franchises,  honors  and  privileges. 

He  could  not  desire  more  precautions  to  avoid  the  pos- 
sible infringement  of  these  great  principles  than  I  should. 
I  would,  if  possible,  go  before  him  in  every  such  precau- 
tionary measures. 

Put  yourself,  therefore,  again  in  his  way.  Tell  him 
also,  and  pledge  yourself  to  him  as  a  truth,  that  I  have  no 


326     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vni. 

kind  of  personal  hostility,  not  only  towards  him,  whose 
talents  and  energies  I  respect,  but  towards  any  of  his 
party.  Urge  upon  him  the  obvious  tendency  of  the  Govern- 
ment management.  One  day  they  strike  down  Protestant 
monopoly;  next  day,  they  trample  on  Catholic  freedom. 
Let  him  see  how,  in  the  Corporation  reform,  they  strike 
down  the  last  but  powerful  remnant  of  Protestant  ascend- 
ancy. Communicate  with  him  freely  and  without  disguise. 
Pledge  yourself  to  observe  secrecy.  Leave  him  at  full 
liberty.  Use  my  name  directly.  Acknowledge  that  you  are 
authorized  by  me.  Give  him  the  substantial  part  of  this 
letter.  There  are  some  expressions  in  it  which  I  do  not 
think  it  proper  you  should  shew  him  by  my  authority.  If 
I  were  to  authorize  you  to  shew  it  I  would  not  leave  one 
word  which  could  offend.  But,  subject  to  this  caution, 
give  him,  if  you  find  him  prepared  for  it,  my  entire  senti- 
ments in  substance  and  effect. 

Of  course  I  would  not  join  in  any  violation  of  the  Law. 
My  plan  is  to  restore  the  Irish  Parliament  with  the  full 
assent  of  Protestants  and  Presbyterians  as  well  as  Catholics. 
I  desire  no  social  revolution,  no  social  change.  The 
nobility  to  possess  lands,  titles,  and  legislative  privileges 
as  before  the  Union.  The  Clergy,  for  their  lives,  their  full 
incomes — to  decrease  as  Protestantism  may  allow  that  de- 
crease. The  Landed  Gentry  to  enjoy  their  present  state, 
being  residents. 

Every  man  to  be  considered  a  resident  who  has  an 
establishment  in  Ireland. 

In  short,  salutary  restoration  without  revolution,  an  Irish 
parliament,  British  connexion,  one  King,  two  legislatures. 

You  see  how  I  run  on,  inspired  by  the  pleasing  hope  of  a 
reconciliation  between  all  parties.  On  my  part  it  shall  be 
most  cordial,  most  sincere. 

All  this  may  be  only  a  day  dream,  but  you  have  made 
me  dream  it.  And  it  is  delightful  even  as  a  vision. 
Would  to  God  it  could  be  realized. 

Believe  me  always, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


1833        COLLAPSE   OF   TEE   OBANGE  ALLIANCE        327 


Note  by  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

I  think  it  right  to  make  the  following  memorandum 
with  reference  to  the  interesting  letter  which  alludes  to  a 
conversation  I  had  had  with  Doctor  Boyton  some  days  pre- 
viously to  its  date.  On  that  occasion  Doctor  Boyton  asked 
emphatically  '  whether  it  was  not  possible  to  find  a  common 
ground  on  which  the  two  great  Irish  Parties  could  stand 
together  ?  '  I  indicated  the  Bepeal  of  the  Legislative  Union 
as  the  proper  question  to  nationalize  the  antagonist 
parties,  and  having  communicated  Doctor  Boyton's  preg- 
nant query  to  Mr.  O'Connell,  received  from  the  latter  the 
remarkable  letter  dated  « Feb.  21st,  1833.' 

This  letter  reached  me  on  the  day  on  which  it  was 
supposed  the  Conservative  Society  would  dissolve  itself  at 
a  final  meeting,  to  avoid  the  consequences  of  the  Coercion 
Bills.  I  thought  it  incumbent  upon  me,  therefore,  to  see 
Doctor  Boyton  before  the  meeting,  with  a  view  of  reading 
to  him  Mr.  O'Connell's  propositions.  Doctor  B.  politely 
acceded  to  my  invitation,  met  me  previously  to  the  meeting, 
and  heard  the  propositions  with  marked  attention.  He, 
however,  declined  to  commit  himself  or  his  party  in  any 
way  in  a  discussion  of  the  topics,  expressing  at  the  same 
tune  his  fears  that  the  prejudices  of  those  with  whom  he 
acted  were,  with  relation  to  the  Catholic  people,  wholly  in- 
superable. '  They  are  actuated  (he  said)  by  an  abstract 
detestation  of  Popery  which  seems  to  forbid  all  hope 
of  coalition.'  In  conclusion,  he  required  that  the  inter- 
view should  not  be  made  known,  and  that  matters  should 
stand  as  if  it  had  never  taken  place,  while  he  avowed 
his  gratification  at  being  informed  so  much  in  detail 
of  Mr.  O'Connell's  sentiments  respecting  the  Protestant 
Church  and  community,  and  he  added  that  the  fair- 
ness and  liberality  of  the  propositions  reflected  great  credit 
upon  Mr.  O'Connell. 


328     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vm. 
To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

[Fragment.]  1833. 

See  Sheehan,  of  the  Mail,  and  tell  him  from  me  that  all 
offers  of  conciliation  on  the  part  of  the  popular  party  are 
at  an  end,  and  that  if  anything  can  hereafter  be  done  in 
that  way  the  first  step  must  be  taken  by  the  Orange  party. 
We  have  done  our  share,  and  done  it  without  any  useful  effect. 
In  the  meantime  I  do  not,  of  course,  expect — still  less  do 
I  ask  for — any  personal  forbearance.  I  am  part  of  the 
stock-in-trade  of  Abusers.  But,  for  my  part,  I  will  not, 
directly  or  indirectly,  assail  the  individual  with  or  through 
whom  I  have  sought  conciliation.  As  to  Dr.  Boy  ton,  I  really 
like  the  man.  I  am  sorry,  for  his  sake,  that  we  must  attack 
even  the  vested  interests  of  the  present  incumbents.9  They 
have  driven  us  to  this  position. 

There  is  no  letter  of  O'Connell's  between  February 
21  and  March  11, 1833.  During  this  interval  the  Coercion 
Bill  of  Lord  Grey  engrossed  all  his  thoughts.  It  was  one 
of  the  most  severe  efforts  of  repressive  legislation  ever 
made  by  England.  It  was  the  angry  answer  of  a  powerful 
Government  to  the  Irish  demand  for  radical  redress,  but  it 
cannot  be  denied  that  the  state  of  Ireland  was  deplorable. 
Agrarian  outrages  and  secret  societies  desecrated  the  land. 
'  Think,'  exclaimed  Peel,  '  of  196  murders  in  one  year ! 
Why,  you  have  gained  glorious  victories  with  less  loss  of 
life.'  The  following  letter  from  John  O'Connell,  M.P.,  helps 
to  fill  the  gap  in  his  father's  correspondence  : — 

John  O'Connell  to  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

House  of  Commons  :  1st  March,  1833. 

My  father  has  not  spoken  as  yet,  and  will,  I  trust,  be 
able  to  reserve  himself  for  Peel,  who  is  preparing  to  attack 
us.  Peel's  speech  will  be  the  most  powerful  and  successful 
one  made  on  the  Coercion  side  of  the  question.  Sheil  made 
an  admirable  speech  last  night. 

The  majority — indeed,  the  great  majority — of  the  House 

9  The  Irish  parsons.     Incidental  to  the  campaign  against  Tithes. 


1833 


BISHOP  DOYLE 


329 


will  go  with  the  Ministers  throughout.  Of  the  remaining 
members,  many  say  '  they  won't  oppose  the  first  reading ' 
(as  if  a  measure  of  this  kind  ought  not  to  be  opposed  from 
the  very  outset),  and  some  say  that  they  will  support  the 
bill,  first  taking  care  that  some  of  its  clauses  be  modified  in 
committee.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  we  are  not  to  expect 
much  assistance  from  such  temporizing  and  timid  soi-disant 
friends  to  Ireland.  Stanley  has  admitted,  almost  in  direct 
words,  that  the  main  objects  of  this  atrocious  bill  are  to 
destroy  my  father's  influence  in  Ireland  and  to  uphold 
tithes.  There  is  no  other  inference  that  can  be  drawn 
from  his  words,  altho'  he  endeavored  to  deny  that  the 
last-mentioned  object  was  in  contemplation.  He  said  he 
did  not  mean  the  bill  to  support  tithes,  but  that  it  should 
render  safe  the  life  and  property  of  the  clergyman.  Who 
will  dare  to  refuse  paying  tithes,  with  the  terrors  of  a  court- 
martial  hanging  over  him  ?  Every  kind  of  constitutional 
opposition  that  can  be  made  will  be  made  to  this  bill  by  the 
Irish  members.  The  country  ought  to  second  their  efforts 
forcibly  and  at  once,  and  to  pour  in  petitions  while  as  yet 
the  right  of  petitioning  is  left  inviolate. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  llth  March,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, —  It  lightens  my  heart  to  write  to 
you.  I  am  afflicted  beyond  measure  at  the  conduct  of 
many  of  the  Irish  members : !  Lambert 2  of  Wexford — 


1  In     supporting    the    Coercion 
Bill. 

2  It  is   remarkable  that   Henry 
Lambert   was    encouraged    in    this 
policy  by  no  less  a  person  than  the 
Patriot  prelate  Dr.  Doyle,  who  thus 
concludes   one   of   his   letters :   '  If, 
however,  we  are  not  to   have  good 
government  or  wise  laws — and  I  see 
no  prospect  of  either — I  prefer  Lord 
Grey's  bill  to  any  other  less  despotic 
measure.     If  we  are  to  be  subjected 
to   a   despotism,  let  it  be  the   des- 
potism  of    gentlemen,   not   of    the 
brutal     canaille      composing      the 


Trades'  Unions  and  Blackfeet  con- 
federacies. The  honest  and  indus- 
trious people  of  this  country  will 
suffer  less  and  prosper  more  under 
the  iron  rule  of  the  constituted 
authorities — let  these  be  whom  they 
may — than  under  the  yoke  of  the 
impious  and  seditious,  who  now 
torment  them  and  drive  them  into 
all  manner  of  folly  and  excess.  I 
have  not  busied  myself  in  examin- 
ing the  details  of  Lord  Grey's  bill. 
It  is  complete  in  its  kind.  There 
is  no  use  in  softening  it.  Let  the 
terror  of  its  intolerable  severity  pre- 


330     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vm. 


atrocious ;  Keane,  of  Waterford  County — treacherous  to  the 
last  degree  ;  Evans — very,  very  bad.     But  all  this  is  idle. 

We  spent  three  hours  to-day  receiving  Petitions  against 
'  The  Bill '  from  all  parts  of  England  and  Scotland ;  but 
one  in  favor  of  it,  and  that  from  Londonderry.  This  bill 
will  throw  out  the  Ministry.  Sooner  or  later  it  will  throw 
them  out 3 — and  what  next  ? 

The  second  reading  will  take  place  before  we  rise  this 
night.  Then  the  battle  commences  in  the  Committee. 
It  will  be  a  hard- fought  fight  in  Committee,  and  I  do 
believe  that  much  of  the  Bill  will  be  altered.  But,  take 
it  in  any  shape,  it  is  a  measure  of  atrocious  tyranny,  and 
demonstrates  that  no  Parliament  but  a  local  one  can  do 
justice  to  Ireland. 

The  murder  of  Leonard,  near  New  Eoss,  is  not  only 
horrible  in  itself,  but  most  unfortunate  in  point  of  time. 
This  it  is  which  breaks  my  heart.  Yet  I  do  not,  and  will 
not,  despair  for  Ireland.  I  believe  all  that  occurs  in  this 
country  is  working  for  good.  It  makes  the  cause  of  the 
Irish  people  connect  itself  with  popular  rights. 

You  have  not  sent  me  a  list  of  anti- Corporation  wit- 
nesses, with  the  address  of  each.  It  was  said  that  there 
was  a  grand  Petition  on  this  subject  coming  from  Dublin. 
Why  does  it  not  appear  ?  I  ought,  or  somebody  ought,  to 
have  it  to  present.  The  20th  is  the  day  for  going  on  with 
this  subject — this  most  interesting  subject.  I  will  do  the 
best  I  can  to  open  up  the  Corporation  in  all  its  details. 
You  should  print  the  Petition  in  the  newspapers ;  if  not,  in 
another  form,  and  let  me  have  a  printed  copy.  This  is 
more  important  than  can  well  be  known  in  Dublin.  If  in 
the  newspapers,  send  me  one  dozen  copies.  If  we  can  get 
the  Corporation  monopoly  put  an  end  to,  we  will  break  a 


vent  the  necessity  for  enforcing  it  ; 
but  when  enforced,  let  it  go  forth 
unrestrained.'  (See  Life,  Times,  and 
Correspondence  of  Bishop  Doyle, 
vol.  ii.  p.  459.  Dublin  :  Duffy.) 

O'Connell  denounced  the  recu- 
sant, and  stigmatised  him  as  '  Lut- 
trel  Lambert.'  Luttrel  was  a  name 


odious  to  the  Irish  people.  Colonel 
Luttrel  betrayed  King  James  II., 
and  Luttrel,  Lord  Carhampton, 
proved  a  terrorist  of  the  worst  type 
in  1798. 

3  Lord  Grey  resigned  the  Pre- 
miership within  one  year  from  this 
date. 


1833  COERCION  BILL  331 

gap  in  the  enemy's  fortifications.  Could  you  send  me  a 
list  of  the  Common  Council,  with  each  man's  trade  or  oc- 
cupation ?  I  want  to  show  how  they  violate  Lucas'  Act, 
which  requires  that  every  man  should  be  of  the  Trade  of 
the  Guild  which  he  represents.  Look  to  this  at  once. 
Believe  me  always,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

For  eleven  nights  a  great  struggle  raged.  O'Connell 
denounced  Grey's  Bill  as  '  the  assassination  of  the  Consti- 
tution.' 

'  If  I  advise  you,  it  will  be  said  I  threaten ;  if  I  prophesy, 
I  shall  be  taunted  with  provoking  what  I  prophesy.  Such 
is  the  miserable  condition  I  am  in  that  I  cannot  tell  you  of 
your  danger  without  having  it  said  that  I  am  creating  that 
danger.  I  abandon  giving  you  advice.  I  know  what  is  its 
value,  but  I  avoid  giving  it.  ...  You  ask  us  to  trample 
upon  the  Constitution,  but  you  give  us  no  proof  that  by  so 
doing  tranquillity  will  be  restored  to  the  country.  ...  I 
tell  you  that  tranquillity  will  not  be  restored  until  you  do  us 
justice.' 

A  number  of  English  members  joined  in  the  protest, 
prominent  amongst  whom  stood  : — Grote,  member  for 
London;  Hume,  M.P.  for  Middlesex;  Sir  Wm.  Molesworth, 
Warburton,  Attwood,  Cobbett,  Ingilby,  Humphry,  Tynte, 
James,  Henry  Lytton  Bulwer,  afterwards  Lord  Calling; 
and  Edward  Lytton  Bulwer,  whose  name  was  a  tower  of 
strength.  His  speech  was  one  of  the  ablest  arguments 
delivered  against  the  Coercion  Bill;  and  he  produced  a 
marked  effect  when  he  read  aloud  some  observations  pre- 
viously expressed  by  Brougham,  including :  '  Nor  can  you 
expect  to  gather  in  any  other  crop  than  they  did  who  went 
before  you,  if  you  persevere  in  their  utterly  abominable  hus- 
bandry of  sowing  Injustice  and  reaping  Rebellion.' 

It  may,  perhaps,  be  mentioned  here  that  in  1833,  when 
the  Coercion  Bill  of  Lord  Grey  became  law,  the  number  of 
outrages  in  Ireland  was  6,547 ;  while,  one  year  later,  after 
a  diligent  trial  of  it,  they  had  augmented  to  6,645. 


332     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vm. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  6th  March,  1833. 
Corporation  Committee. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  do  not  as  yet  know  when  the 
Committee  will  be  ready  to  go  into  the  question  of  Irish 
Corporations,  but  I  shall  know  to-morrow.  Until  a  pre- 
cise day  is  fixed  it  would  be  idle  to  summon .  Since  I 

wrote  the  last  page  the  Eecorder  has  come  in  and  the  Com- 
mittee have  fixed  this  day  fortnight,  namely,  Wednesday,  the 
20th  inst.,  to  go  into  the  Case  of  Dublin.  The  Committee 
require  the  attendance  of  the  Treasurer,  Sir  J.  K.  James, 
and  of  Mr.  Archer,  the  town  clerk.  The  Eecorder  proposes 
in  addition  to  examine  Alderman  Beresford.  Now  for  our 
side.  I  must  get  an  authentic  list  of  witnesses.  I  will  not 
be  allowed  to  summon  in  the  first  instance  more  than  three 
or  four  witnesses  at  the  public  expense.  Any  other  person 
who  will  volunteer  to  come  over  at  his  own  expense  will  be 
examined.  From  what  I  have  heard  from  various  quarters 
I  should  propose  to  summon  in  the  first  instance  Mr. 
McMullen,  Mr.  Maley  the  elder,  Mr.  Staines,  and  Sheriffs 
Peer  White.4  Write  to  me  at  once,  that  is,  after  consulting 
with  intelligent  friends  at  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  as  to 
what  witnesses  we  should  examine.  Surely  the  one  pound 
per  day  with  travelling  expenses,  being  what  the  Committees 
generally  allow  as  expenses,  ought  not  to  be  such  an  object 
as  to  keep  in  Dublin  any  independent  witness.  It  is  so 
important  to  shew  up  all  the  abuses  in  the  Corporation  that 
I  should  hope  we  will  have  many  volunteers  ready  to  be 
examined ;  I  do  not  mean  political  volunteers.  The  more  I 
know  of  the  Committee,  the  more  do  I  expect  to  have  all  Cor- 
porations thrown  open.  The  great  question  is,  who  should 
be  *  the  Freemen.'  The  £10  householders  are  those  that  are 
generally  suggested.  If  Corporations  were  thrown  open  to 
that  extent,  then  the  other  abuses  will  be  easily  corrigible. 
Pemberton  I  will  also  get  summoned  if  I  can.  But  recol- 
lect the  great  object  is  to  throw  the  Corporations  open  to 

4  Sheriffs  Peers  were  a  grade  in  the  old  Corporation  of  Dublin. 


1833  CALUMNIATED  333 

the  inhabitants  at  large,  and  to  have  the  new  Corporators  to 
investigate  the  frauds  of  the  old  and  to  look  for  legal  or 
legislative  relief.  But  the  frauds  now  existing  ought  to  be 
proved.  You  now  understand  me. 

I  do  not  despair  of  Ireland ;  Despotism  is  not  as  yet 
Law.  The  English  public  are  certainly  rousing,  and  I  have 
reason  to  believe  that  by  the  delay  of  the  bill  we  shall 
emasculate  the  Act  at  the  very  worst.  The  weakness  of  the 
Ministry  is  not  as  yet  seen ;  but  when  they  come  to  deal  with 
England  and  taxation,  and  it  appears  how  little  the  people 
will  benefit  by  the  Eeform  Bill,  then  we  will  have  an  English 
force  of  discontent  which  may,  and,  indeed,  I  think,  must, 
shake  this  vile  Administration. 

I  only  smile  at  the  attacks  made  on  my  character.  I 
am  so  familiar  with  every  species  of  calumny  that,  my  good 
friend,  it  is  really  nothing  but  time  lost  to  defend  me. 
Allow  everyone  who  chooses  to  abuse  me  to  their  heart's 
content.  All  the  answer  I  will  give  is  working  as  well  as  I 
can  for  our  unfortunate  country.  Believe  me  that  it  was 
not  possible  to  give  so  strong  an  impulse  to  Eepeal  by  any 
other  means  in  this  country  as  by  those  coercive  measures. 
In  the  House  and  out  of  the  House  many  are  daily  declaring 
that  they  do  not  see  any  chance  of  justice  for  Ireland 
without  a  resident  legislature. 

You  will  see  that  some  of  our  members  have  behaved 
infamously.  This  is  the  way  with  Ireland  always ;  we  have 
been  turned  into  a  province,  and  are  now  made  slaves  by 
our  own  miserable  dissensions,  or  rather  by  the  desertion  of 
those  who  ought  to  assist  but  actually  stab  their  country. 
Yet  I  do  not  despair.  In  recent  years  I  have  seen  so  many 
instances  of  measures  intended  to  annihilate  Irish  Liberty 
turn  out  most  beneficial  to  that  very  freedom  which  they 
were  introduced  to  destroy. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  March  8th,  1833. 
My  dear  FitzPatrick, — The  entire  day  has  been  spent 
in  presenting   petitions  against   the   atrocious   bill.     The 


334     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vm. 

Government  have  become  alarmed ;  and,  only  think,  they  are 
mean  enough  to  solicit  The  Times  not  to  give  full  reports  of 
the  debate  on  the  second  reading  of  the  bill !  There  is  one 
thing  exceedingly  in  our  favour  :  it  is  the  reports  arriving 
from  Ireland  of  a  run  for  gold  in  several  places.  This  is 
creating  the  greatest  alarm.  The  Bank  of  England,  it  is 
confessed,  can  not  meet  a  three  days'  run ;  and  of  necessity 
their  notes  will  come  in  upon  them  if  the  run  continues  in 
Ireland.  For  my  own  part,  I  do  not  know  what  to  do. 
The  run  injures  friends  as  well  as  foes.  I  cannot  think 
without  apprehension  of  the  worthy  men  I  may  injure  if  I 
call  for  gold.  On  the  other  hand,  I  am  quite  convinced  that 
a  general  demand  for  gold  would  now  at  once  stop  the  bill. 
Consult  our  best  friends;  ask  those  who  think  the  most 
soberly,  and  let  me  know  what  advice  they  give  on  this 
most  vital  subject.  I  wish  I  saw  my  own  way.  There  is, 
however,  this  consolation,  that  the  People  of  England  are 
being  roused.  It  would  have  pleased  you  to  have  seen  the 
batch  of  petitions  poured  in  on  this  subject.  Believe  me 
all  this  will  tell  well  yet,  and  the  Eepeal,  instead  of  being 
postponed,  will  really  be  advanced  beyond  any  comparison 
more  than  I  could  have  possibly  expected.  It  embodies  the 
lovers  of  liberty  in  this  country  with  the  Irish  People. 

There  is  no  discovering  with  any  certainty  whether  the 
Ministers  mean  to  do  anything  about  the  Malt  duties.  You 
may  be  quite  sure  that  it  would  not  be  safe  to  speculate  on 
any  information  you  may  receive  on  this  subject. 

There  never  yet  was  a  fellow  so  busy  as  I  am.  I  never 
knew  what  it  was  to  have  every  moment  devoted  to  busi- 
ness so  compleatly.  I  wish  I  could  revise  my  long  speech 
and  publish  it,  as  I  learn  from  a  most  powerful  source  that 
it  has  made  an  impression.  Perhaps  this  is  an  indulgence 
of  my  vanity. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

House  of  Commons  :  Friday  evening. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Lord  Grey  is  on  his  legs  abusing 
agitation  and  agitators,  but  as  yet  not  disclosing  his  mea- 


1833  CORPORATE  REFORM  335 

sure  of  severity.  I  have  the  pleasure,  however,  to  tell  you 
that  any  such  measures  will  be  more  stoutly  opposed  in  the 
House  of  Commons  when  they  arrive  there  than  you  or  I 
would  have  supposed  from  the  debates  and  majorities  on 
the  address.  In  the  interval  let  us  think  of  something 
more  pleasing.  You  have  seen  that  the  Vestry  Cess  is  to  be 
abolished,  totally  abolished.  Ten  bishops  to  be  dispensed 
with,  and  the  management  of  ecclesiastical  property  to  be 
committed  to  Parliamentary  Commissioners.  This  is  good 
for  a  beginning.  It  establishes  valuable  principles — first, 
that  Parliament  is  to  cut  down  the  magnitude  of  the  establish- 
ment (admitting,  by  way  of  parenthesis,  that  the  establish- 
ment is  too  large)  to  a  reasonable  extent.  It  establishes, 
also,  the  parliamentary  right  to  manage  that  species  of 
property.  I  assure  you  it  is  deemed  very  defective — very 
short  of  what  it  ought  to  be  in  point  of  extinction  of  bur- 
then, and  this  by  the  English  members.  In  short,  the 
work  is  going  forward. 

There  is  another  matter  also  of  vital  importance — the 
renovation  of  the  Corporations.  I  want  some  half  dozen 
good  witnesses  to  prove  the  entire  System  of  Dublin  Corpo- 
ration abuses.  Enquire  and  send  me  their  names ;  men  of 
information,  coolness,  and  good  sense.  I  mean  to  write 
again  to-morrow  to  Mr.  Eoe,  the  secretary  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  on  this  subject.  I  take  it  that  every  £W 
householder  in  Dublin  will  be  a  free  man,  and  that  none 
others  will  be  free.  I  believe  the  City  will  be  divided  into 
wards  or  districts,  and  that  the  Common  Council  will  be 
the  representatives  of  such  wards.  The  real  representatives 
of  the  inhabitants  will  thus  have  the  election  of  Sheriffs, 
Aldermen,  &c.  &c.  In  short,  the  present  monopoly,  political 
and  religious,  will,  I  believe,  be  annihilated,  and  the  Cor- 
poration in  all  its  offices  will  be  as  open  and  popular  as 
the  representation  of  Dublin  in  parliament  is  at  present. 
Get  me,  however,  good  witnesses ;  I  devote  myself  to  this 
committee.  We  can  compel  unwilling  witnesses  to  attend. 
The  summons  will  be  sent  off  on  Monday  for  the  wit- 
nesses /  mentioned  on  the  Corporation  question.  It  is 


336     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  vm. 

a  comfort  that  the  monopoly  should   end  there. — Believe 
me  to  be, 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  Richard  Barrett. 

14  Albemarle  Street,  London  :  Wednesday 

My  dear  Barrett, — The  die  is  cast.  We  are  slaves. 
One  more  injustice  has  been  committed  towards  Ireland. 
Let  us  now  struggle  for  the  double  repeal — 

First,  of  this  new  Algerine  Act. 

Secondly,  of  that  Union  which  alone  caused  this  Act  to 
be  passed. 

I  feel  the  awful  duty  imposed  on  me  by  the  Volunteers. 
I  will  endeavour  to  perform  it  honestly  at  least,  if  not  well. 

Announce  to  the  People  of  Ireland  that  I  intend  on 
every  Monday,  whilst  the  Algerine  Act  continues,  to  publish 
a  letter  to  them  in  The  Pilot.  I  will,  please  God,  begin  on 
Monday  next. 

I  mean  to  take  up  in  detail  the  necessary  agitation  in 
each  county  in  Ireland.  Our  enemies  shall  not  triumph 
over  the  people,  nor  put  down  the  popular  sentiment.  We 
will  still  agitate  within  the  Law,  and  without  either  moral 
guilt  or  legal  offence. 

Call  on  the  people  to  be  quiet,  to  bear  with  patience 
this  new  indignity.  Let  them  hope  for  better  days — and 
better  days  must  soon  arrive. 

Give  a  caution  to  the  atrocious  Whitefeet.5     They  have 


5  The  Whitefeet  were  mostly 
colliers  in  the  Queen's  County  and 
Kilkenny  mines.  O'Connell's  letter 
bears  no  date,  but  his  allusion  is 
explained  by  an  address  of  Bishop 
Doyle  '  to  the  deluded  persons  il- 
legally combined  under  the  unmean- 
ing appellation  of  Blackfeet  and 
Whitefeet.' 

'  Dearly  beloved  brethren,'  he 
writes,  '  for  though  the  world  may 
justly  reject  and  condemn  you,  you 


are  still  my  children  and  the  sheep 
of  that  fold,  though  you  have  strayed 
from  it,  of  which  I  am  the  shepherd. 
I  have  but  just  returned  from  that 
portion  of  the  collieries  which  are 
within  my  diocese,  and  from  touch- 
ing the  lifeless  corpses,  covered  with 
the  blood  of  your  companions,  slain 
in  the  criminal  and  unprovoked  at- 
tempt to  rescue  from  the  power  of 
the  law  men  accused  and  appre- 
hended for  offences  which  that  law 


1833 


THE   WHITEFEET   CONFEDEBACY 


837 


played  the  game  which  the  enemies  of  Ireland  wished  them 
to  play.  The  execration  of  every  good  or  honest  man  is 
upon  their  crimes ;  the  vengeance  of  God  will  sooner  or 
later  be  visited  upon  their  wickedness. 

How  sincerely  ought  we  not  to  detest  the  vilest  of  the 
vile  Whitefeet — the  last  and  worst  of  those  villainous  mis- 
creants who  have  given  strength  to  the  enemies  and 
weakened  the  friends  of  Ireland. 

But  still  I  do  not  despair  of  my  country.  No.  Even 
in  the  crimes  which  are  committed  against  her  there  arises  a 
hope  that  these  crimes  will  accelerate  their  own  punishment, 
and  create  thereby  that  state  of  things  which  will  ensure  the 
speedy  restoration  of  our  national  and  constitutional  inde- 
pendence. Believe  me  to  be,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


condemns.'  He  then  sought  to  show 
that  the  League  entered  into  by  these 
men  would  only  prolong  and  aggra- 


vate the  evils  of  which  they  com- 
plained. 


VOL.    I. 


838     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O 'CONN 'ELL       CH.  ix. 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

The  Run  on  the  Banks — James  Silk  Buckingham — The  Volunteers — Sir 
John  Cam  Hobhouse — '  The  Algerine  Ministry ' — Confusion  in  the  Camp 
— The  Whigs  Beaten — Negro  Emancipation — Barrett  tried  and  im- 
prisoned— The  Ambition  of  O'Connell's  Life — Remarkable  Avowal — 
Reform  Bill  thrown  out  by  the  Lords  —Resignation  of  Ministers  tendered 
— The  Throes  of  a  Revolution — A  Crisis — O'Connell  helps  the  Whigs 
by  Voice  and  Vote — Cordial  Relations — Mr.  Secretary  Littleton — Called 
to  order — Anonymous  Gifts  of  Gold — A  Labyrinth  of  Laws  swept  away 
— Mr.  P.  Lavelle — O'Connell's  Speeches  burked — Queen  Adelaide — 
Feargus  O'Connor — F.  W.  Con  way — Ship  Canals  through  Ireland — The 
Church  Bill — A  Judge  holds  his  Court  at  Midnight — The  Tories  are  gone 
for  ever  1 ' 

IN  previous  letters  reference  is  made  to  a  run  upon  the 
banks  for  gold,  as  part  of  O'Connell's  policy  to  worry  a 
Government  which  worried  him.  Conway,  of  the  Dublin 
Evening  Post,  whom  Dr.  Madden  describes  as  the  ablest 
journalist  of  his  time,  condemned  with  great  severity  the 
course  now  pursued  by  the  Tribune,  and  noted  from  day  to 
day  the  fatal  drain  of  gold,  which  he  called  '  The  O'Connell 
Cholera.'  The  run  in  Kilkenny,  Clonmel,  and  Tralee  is  de- 
scribed ;  how  even  the  Savings  Banks  were  besieged ;  and 
on  March  12,  1833,  Conway  says  that  on  the  previous 
Saturday  upwards  of  30,000  sovereigns  were  withdrawn 
from  the  Provincial  Bank  branches  alone.  Conway  sug- 
gested that  a  clause  be  added  to  the  Bill  now  before  Parlia- 
ment, making  the  notes  of  the  Bank  of  Ireland  and  the  Pro- 
vincial Bank  payable  in  Dublin  alone,  and  security,  he  argued 
would  be  given  at  once  to  the  country.  A  well-known  pic- 
ture, for  which  all  three  sat,  represents  O'Connell,  Conway, 
and  FitzPatrick  united  like  a  shamrock.  Conway  had 
helped  O'Connell  in  the  previous  struggle  for  Catholic 
Emancipation,  but  the  latter  now  felt  his  adverse  power, 
and  doubtless  it  was  Conway's  influence  operating  through 
PitzPatrick  that  produced  the  following  letter  : — 


1833  JAMES  SILK  BUCKINGHAM  839 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London     13th  March,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  will  not  call  for  a  run  for  gold. 
I  do  myself  believe  that  /  ought.  At  this  moment  it  would 
force  the  Ministry  to  give  up  the  vile  Coercion  Bill.  But  I 
yield  to  the  authority  you  mention,  and  I  will  not  call  for 
Gold ;  nor  have  I.  But  I  cannot  go  farther.  I  cannot  call 
on  the  country  to  refrain  from  doing  that  in  favour  of  which 
my  own  private  judgment  certainly  is.  I  give  up  my 
private  judgment,  but  I  cannot  reverse  it.  You  may  rely 
on  this,  that  I  will  not  say  one  word  in  favour  of  a  run. 

Do  not  put  any  letter  with  the  papers  of  Friday,  because 
if  the  parcel  does  not  come  on  Sunday  I  will  not  release  it. 
One  Monday  they  paid  6s.  4d.  for  the  parcel  which  was 
delivered  on  that  day.  .  .  . 

I  have  sent  over  orders  for  Maley,1  John  McMullen, 
James  Vance,  and  Kobert  White.  I  could  not  get  more 
orders  for  the  present.2  ...  I  have  some  chance  of  being 
able  to  present  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  Petition3  to- 
morrow. I  will,  of  course,  write  fully  when  I  do,  but  you 
have  no  idea  of  the  impossibility  of  getting  in  Petitions 
except  by  throwing  them  on,  or  rather  under,  the  table  at 
two  in  the  morning,  so  as  to  appear  in  the  Votes.  I  will  not 
do  that,  though  I  delay  the  Petition  a  little. 

I  am  in  better  spirits  than  when  I  wrote  last.  I  begin 
to  think  this  bill  will  work  good  for  the  people  of  Ireland. 
I  am  now  convinced  it  will  accelerate  the  Eepeal. 

I  have  been  speaking  at  a  great  meeting  at  Lambeth, 
and  received  better  than  ever  I  was  in  Ireland. 

1  Mr.  Maley,  though  an  authority  3  Commercial   spirit  received    a 
on  some  points,  was  not  always    a  stimulus  in  Dublin  at  this  time  by 
desirable  companion.     A  friend  said  the  visit  of  James  Silk  Buckingham, 
to  Pat  Costello :     'I  hear  you  and  founder    of    the    Athen&um.      His 
Maley  are  going  up  the  Rhine   to-  mission  was  to  agitate  the  question 
gether.'     '  I  would  not  go  down  the  of  Free  Trade  with  India  and  China 
Dodder  with  him  '  was  the  answer.  and  to  destroy  the  monopoly  of  the 
The  latter  is   a  small  river  in  the  East  India  Company.    The  reports 
vicinity  of  Dublin.  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  at  this 

2  Men  willing  to  be  examined  as  period  have  been  lost,  but  there  can 
witnesses  by  the  Committee  on  Corpo-  be  no  doubt  it  warmly  co-operated 
rate  Abuses.    (See  letter  of  March  6.)  in  the  movement. 

z  2 


340     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN  ELL       CH.  ix. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  21st  March,  1833. 

My  dear  Friend, — The  Bill,  the  Atrocious  Bill,  is  emascu- 
lated. We  have  succeeded  far  beyond  my  hopes.  It  is  now 
more  a  foolish  than  an  infernal  bill.  To  be  sure  it  tramples 
on  great  principles,  marking  the  rascality  of  those  who 
bring  it  forward,  but  it  contains  little  that  is  formidable  in 
its  powers. 

I  battled  against  it  in  despair,  but — blessed  be  God  ! — 
not  in  vain.  Last  night  I  got  a  clause  inserted  taking 
away  all  retrospective  effect  whatsoever.  The  papers  report 
us  miserably.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  my  heart  is  at  ease. 
The  press  is  left  perfectly  untouched.  Hurrah  ! 
Believe  me  always, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  opening  allusion  ia  the  following  letter  is  to  a 
speaker  of  semi-Demosthenic  power,  traditionally  remem- 
bered as  '  Orator  Browne.'  He  was  a  town  traveller  for 
Guinness's  Brewery,  which  led  Pat  Costello  to  say,  on  the 
occasion  of  some  warm  discussion  at  the  Trades  Political 
Union,  that  it  was  perhaps  as  natural  for  a  patriot  to 
represent  a  porter  brewery  as  for  a  poet  to  represent  a 
blacking  factory,  alluding  to  the  lines  in  praise  of  Day  and 
Martin  with  which  the  papers  of  the  day  were  filled. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  March  23rd,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Tell  my  esteemed  friend  John 
Browne  that  I  differ  from  him  very  much.  I  think  his 
motion  should  be  to  direct  us  to  remain  for  the  good  of  the 
people  of  England  and  Scotland,  and  to  advise  us  to  take 
all  steps  consistent  with  principle  to  procure  the  dismissal 
of  that  weak  and  wicked  Administration  which  has  violated 
the  Union  and  laid  the  seeds  of  discontent  and  national 
animosity  between  the  two  countries. 

Something  of  this  kind  should  be  the  motion  made,  not 
to  desert  our  posts  whilst  we  can  do  good  to  any  part  of  the 


1833  '  THE   VOLUNTEEES  FOB  IEELAND '  341 

people.  You  may  also  tell  Browne  to  cheer  his  spirits,  that 
we  have  cut  down  the  worst  provisions  of  the  Bill.  At 
present  it  continues  to  assert  unconstitutional  principles,  but 
it  does  not  give  real  power  save  to  disperse  meetings  and, 
in  addition,  to  crush  Whitefeet.4  The  latter  is  most  de- 
sirable, but  certainly  need  not  have  been  purchased  by  a 
sacrifice  of  the  most  important  of  all  rights — the  trial  by 
Jury.  Believe  me  that  the  '  infernal  bill '  shall  not  retard 
the  great  Eepeal  Question. 

Do  not  send  me  any  more  cut  up  papers.   They  are  of  no 
value. 

A  meeting  of  the  '  Volunteers '  or  '  Friends  of  Ireland  ' 
was  held  on  March  19,  1883,  when  Dominic  Doyle  moved 
and  carried  a  vote  of  national  confidence  in  O'Connell.  '  One 
of  the  objects  of  the  infernal  statute,'  he  said,  '  was  to  extin- 
guish the  political  power  of  their  illustrious  countryman. 
The  effect  of  this  resolution  would  prove  that  O'ConnelTs 
political  influence  would  be  enhanced  tenfold  by  the  very 
attempt  made  to  destroy  it.'  He  moved  that  '  should  the 
meetings  of  the  Association  be  prohibited  by  any  enact- 
ment, all  the  political  power  and  influence  now  possessed  by 
this  body  shall  be  confided  to  O'Connell,  to  be  by  him  exer- 
cised in  any  way  which  he  may  deem  most  useful  to  the 
people  of  Ireland.'  Lord  Milltown,  at  the  same  meeting,  re- 
ferred to  his  own  removal  from  the  Commission  of  the  Peace, 
'  because  he  presumed  to  differ  in  opinion  as  to  the  propriety 
of  the  measure  proposed  by  the  Minister.'  As  regards  Mr. 
Doyle's  motion,  he  held  that  it  would  be  more  dignified, 
more  worthy  of  the  Society  itself,  more  beneficial  to  Ire- 
land, and  more  disagreeable  to  their  friends,  if  the  Society 
would  anticipate  the  result  of  the  proposed  measure  and 
dissolve  of  itself,  and  he  gave  notice  that  at  the  next 
meeting  he  would  bring  forward  such  a  motion. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

I  beg  of  you  to  muster  a  force  against  Lord  Milltown's 
motion.  It  would  be  pleading  guilty  to  the  accusations  of 

4  An  Agrarian  confederacy  similar  to  the  Whiteboys,  Moonlighters,  Terry 
Alts,  and  Bockites. 


342     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 


our  worst  enemies  were  we  to  dissolve.  I  should  have  been 
glad  that  Dominick  Doyle's  motion  had  been  carried.  It 
would  have  been  a  compliment  to  make  me  justly  proud. 
But  no  matter.  At  all  events  I  am  most  anxious  that  the 
Volunteers 5  should  be  dissolved  only  by  proclamation.  We 
shall  see  whether  the  Government  will  proclaim  us  down, 
and  not  the  Conservatives  or  Orange  Lodges.  This  is 
worth  waiting  for.  I  wish  Lord  Miltown  could  be  pre- 
vailed upon  not  to  make  his  motion.  Ireland  owes  him  a 
deep  debt  of  gratitude,  which  some  day,  I  trust,  shall  be 
repaid. 

Send  me  a  compleat  set  of  the  Lessons  used  by  the 
Education  Board.6  I  want  them  for  a  well-disposed  but  a 
little  bigoted  individual. 

See  Mr.  Sheehan,  of  the  Mail,  again.  Put  your  com- 
munication to  him  from  me  on  the  same  footing  with  that 
to  Dr.  Boyton — he  to  be  free  to  disclose  all,  I  to  be 
bound  to  the  strictest  secrecy.  Ask  him  what  security  he 
would  require  from  our  party  to  his.  I  am  for  giving  them 
every  practicable  and  possible  security.  Would  tluy  take 
up  the  Repeal  as  founded  on  the  basis  of  a  local  parliament 
for  local  objects  merely,  and  the  present  105  members  to  come 
over  to  the  Imperial  Parliament  for  all  general  purposes, 
as  at  present  ?  In  short,  see  what  we  can  do  to  satisfy  him 
and  his. 

Yours,  &c.  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

London  :  23rd  March,  1833. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  perceive  that  the  patriotic  Lord 
Miltown — who  has  endeared  himself  for  ever  to  Ireland  by 
joining  her  cause  when  it  was  betrayed  by  many  and 


5  '  The  Volunteers  '  or  '  Friends 
of  Ireland '   are  among  the   names 
applied  by  O'Connell  to  his  political 
associations,    with    the    object    of 
eluding  the  '  Algerine  Act.' 

6  O'Connell  alludes  to  the    re- 


cently established  system  of  National 
Education.  He  hailed  it  as  a  boon, 
believing  that  it  would  be  impos- 
sible for  any  Government  to  ignore 
the  demands  of  an  educated  demo- 
cracy. 


1833  LOBD  MILLTOWN'S  MOTION  843 

deserted  by  so  very  many  more — has  given  notice  of  a 
motion  to  dissolve  the  '  Volunteers.'  I  wish  I  was  in  Dublin 
to  dissuade  him  from  bringing  it  forward.  My  conviction 
is,  that  if  the  '  Volunteers  '  were  to  dissolve  themselves,  it 
would  be  treated  as  an  admission  that  they  were  an  illegal 
assembly.  My  advice  would  be  to  obey  any  proclamation 
after  the  Act  passes,  but  not  to  shrink  from  doing  our  duty 
until  such  proclamation  shall  have  issued.  It  will  be  useful 
to  know  whether  the  new  Algerine  Act  is  to  be  executed 
partially  or  not.  Pray  endeavour  to  get  somebody  to  pre- 
vail with  his  Lordship  to  withdraw  his  motion.7  The  bill 
has  gone  through  the  committee.  It  has  been  much  miti- 
gated in  its  progress.  I  think  you  will  say  that  some  of 
the  Irish  members  have  done  their  duty,  whilst  others  of 
them  have  well  earned  the  strongest  censure  of  the  inde- 
pendent and  honest  part  of  their  constituents.  The  Bill  still 
contains  some  very  despotic  and  cruel  provisions,  such  as 
never  could  be  inflicted  on  Ireland  by  a  freely  chosen  par- 
liament of  her  own.  Indeed,  no  other  argument  is  necessary 
to  prove  the  overwhelming  necessity  of  a  Eepeal  of  the 
Union,  save  that  arising  from  the  passing  of  this  Bill.  We 
must  have  that  Eepeal,  or  our  country  will  be  desolate  and 
miserable  for  ever.  I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  add  that  I 
know  several  violent  opponents  in  politics  who  now  agree 
with  me  that  Ireland  must  be  a  nation,  and  not  a  province. 
Recollect  that  we  are  eight  millions. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  Wednesday,  April  3d,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Put  down  as  the  first  Item  in 
any  new  account  between  the  public  and  me  £100  sent  me 
in  an  anonymous  letter.  Set  it  down  thus  to  begin : 
Anonymous  in  England,  £100. 

I  got  it  in  a  letter  just  stating  that  it  was  sent  as  earned 

7  Lord  Milltown  withdrew  the  motion. 


844     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 

by  me  by  my  expenses  and  services  to  my  country.  I 
have  not  the  least  trace  of  the  quarter  whence  or  the  person 
from  whom  it  came.  It  is  one  of  those  strange  fantasies 
of  personal  kindness  to  myself  such  as  I  believe  no  other 
man  ever  received,  and  which,  of  course,  I  can  not  deserve. 

I  never  knew  a  more  foolish  mistake  than  that  which 
relates  to  my  opposition  to  an  amendment  in  the  bill.  You 
say  I  opposed  an  amendment  prohibiting  the  Lord  Lieut, 
from  proclaiming  any  district  by  reason  of  disturbances 
arising  from  tithes.  How  could  you  be  so  gulled  ? 

I  opposed  a  claim  declaring  that  the  Lord  Lieut,  should 
not  proclaim  a  district  to  be  in  a  state  of  disturbance  and 
outrage  merely  because  tithes  were  not  paid. 

I  opposed  this  clause  as  foolish,  and  also  because  it  was 
hypocritical,  leading  people  to  believe  precisely  what  it 
seems  you  believe — that  it  prevented  the  Lord  Lieut,  from 
proclaiming  any  district  by  reason  of  disturbances  arising 
from  the  payment  or  nonpayment  of  tithes. 

The  True  Sun  took  up  this  silly — pardon  me — view  of 
the  matter,  and  attacked  me.  I  have  not  time  to  defend 
myself. 

I  have  passed  the  bill  for  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
through  the  second  reading,  and  will,  I  trust,  get  it  through 
the  House  of  Commons  the  week  after  the  recess.  Tell 
this  to  some  of  my  friends  in  the  Chamber.  It  repeals 
effectually  the  obnoxious  clause  under  which  the  mayor  has 
bound  the  ship  captains.  Let  Mr.  Brophy  in  particular 
know  that  I  am  attending  to  this  business. 

The  Corporation  witnesses  fully  proved  our  case ;  that  is, 
they  fully  and  indeed  candidly  admitted  the  exclusive  nature 
of  the  Dublin  Corporation,  including  the  nomination  of  the 
Sheriffs,  who  return  all  juries  to  the  highest  courts  of  Law. 
I  have  reason  to  know  that  the  Committee  are  perfectly 
satisfied  that  we  must  have  a  full  reform.  That  reform,  if 
the  leading  Corporators  would  join  me,  we  could  have  at 
once  and  amicably ;  but  if  it  be  postponed  until  next 
session,  it  will  come  under  the  English  precedents  and  be 
siceepinc),  as  the  English  corporation  reform  certainly  will 


1833  COEPOEATE  EEFOEM  345 

be.  I  do  not  expect  that  the  leading  Corporators  are  as  yet 
sufficiently  aware  of  their  danger,  but  they  can  not  reason- 
ably blame  me.  It  was  no  object  to  me  to  make  their 
witnesses  contradict  each  other,  or  to  irritate  or  provoke 
hostility.  I  knew  that,  if  they  denied  exclusiveness,  or  the 
exclusive  nature  of  the  nomination  of  Sheriffs,  I  could 
easily  prove  the  fact  as  it  really  is.  This  is  the  hinge  on 
which  the  reformation  of  Corporations  turns ;  namely,  how 
far  there  is  a  monopoly  in  a  part  of  any  town  or  city  of 
corporate  rights,  and  above  all,  how  far  that  monopoly 
includes  '  the  administration  of  Justice.'  In  this  essential 
point  the  Corporation  of  Dublin  is  manifestly  within  the 
'  category  '  of  those  cases  which  require  imperatively  reform, 
and  of  course  total  alteration.  You  see,  therefore,  that  I 
want  no  adverse  witnesses  to  prove  this  case  :  The  plan  of 
tight  wards  in  Dublin,  the  £10  householders  being  the 
electors,  four  Aldermen  to  be  elected  by  each  ward,  and 
eight  Common  Council  men.  The  25  guilds  to  consist  each 
of  the  trade  for  which  it  was  instituted.  No  title  to  con- 
stitute freedom  to  a  guild  save  apprenticeship.  The  guild 
of  real  merchants  to  return  four  members  to  the  Common 
Council,  each  other  guild  to  return  one  Common  Council 
man.  Such  is  the  outline.  It  will  identify  the  people  with 
the  new  Corporation. — In  haste, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick8 

London  :  18th  April,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  do  not  know  whether  Sheehan 
and  the  Conservatives  are  angry  with  me  or  not,  but  I  do 
know  that  I  behaved  to  them  as  you  could  wish.  If  there 
had  been  a  sturdy  English  Chairman  they  would  not  have 
got  off  so  well,  that  is  certain. 

What  are  the  Conservative  Society 9  to  do  ?  To  shrink 
from  the  proclamation  I  suppose,  and  so  to  confess  them- 

8  This  letter  bears  a  large  seal  inscribed  '  Eepeal  of  the  Union.' 

9  Eev.  Dr.  Boyton's  Association. 


346     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' 'CONN 'ELL    CH.  ix. 


selves  unworthy.  I  do  perceive  that  it  is  believed  that  the 
'  Trades  Union '  will  also  hold  out  the  white  feather.  It 
is  just  the  course  I  should  have  expected  from  some  of  the 
most  burly  amongst  them  ;  but  I  did  hope  that  there  was 
at  bottom  a  fund  of  honest  manliness  which  would  go  more 
than  the  poor  length  of  meeting  a  proclamation,  and  so 
yielding  in  preference  to  avoiding  to  assemble,  and  by  such 
shrinking  to  admit  that  they  merited  the  appellation  of 
'  dangerous.'  It  certainly  would  have  had  a  better  effect  if 
they  had  acted  as  boldly  as  the  Volunteers  did — especially 
as  the  suppression  of  a  '  Trades  Union '  would  have  had  a 
strong  effect  on  the  Unions  in  this  country.  Can  you  dis- 
cover who  it  was  advised  them  to  take  the  cowardly  course  ? 

I  was  defeated  in  point  of  numbers,  but  most  trium- 
phant in  the  argument  on  the  Proclamation  of  the  city  of 
Kilkenny.  I  intend  to  bring  it  on  again  in  another  shape 
on  Monday  next.  One  of  the  leading  men  of  the  Govern- 
ment said  to  me  in  private,  it  ivas  a  most  unwise  proclama- 
tion. Anglesey  will  not  reign  long,  nor  indeed  will  the  Whigs. 
In  Ireland  you  have  no  idea  of  the  progress  of  the  public 
mind  in  this  country.  It  is  going  forwards  in  our  direction. 
I  am  sure  you  are  not  losing  sight  of  the  arrangements  for 
Antrim.1  You  will,  I  perceive,  find  difficulties  from  some 
of  the  bishops.  It  will  require  all  your  zeal,  activity,  and 
friendship  to  make  anything  of  it.  I  apprehend  much 
want  of  success.  Another  year  like  the  last  would  corn- 
pleat  me.  But  these  are  dreams. 

Hobhouse  is  a  most  inefficient  Secretary.  I  have  not 
much  to  contend  with  in  point  of  ingenuity  or  force.  Stan- 
ley's venom  answered  the  English  rascals  much  better. 
Hobhouse  is  only  milk  and  water.  I  am  pressing  Hobhouse 
to  immortalise  himself  by  a  Eeform  of  the  Corporation  of 
Dublin.2  Who  knows  ? 


1  In  1832    Edmund    MacDonell 
had  fought  Antrim  closely  with  Lord 
Belfast.     O'Connell   never  lived   to 
see  Antrim  return  a  Liberal. 

2  Sir  John   Cam  Hobhouse,  the 
friend  and  executor  of  Byron,  filled 


for  a  short  time,  previous  to  the 
appointment  of  Mr.  Littleton,  the 
uncongenial  post  of  Chief  Secretary 
for  Ireland.  He  afterwards  became 
Lord  Broughton.  Died  1869. 


1833 


CONFUSION  IN   THE   CAMP 


347 


I  get  the  Sunday's  parcel  regularly.     Perhaps  it  is  not 
right  for  me  to  set  the  work  a  doing  on  that  day. 
Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  0  CONNELL. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  April  27th,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — All  is  confusion  in  the  '  Camp 
of  Agramont.'  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  scoundrel  Algerine 
Whigs  are  out,  and  I  have  done  my  best  to  give  them  the 
last  kick.  The  base  hypocrites,  with  Liberty  in  their 
mouths  and  tyranny  of  the  worst  kind  in  their  hearts  ! 
The  fact  is,  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  remain  in.3  Last 
night  we  got  rid  of  the  one  half  of  the  malt  tax,  and  it  is 
certain  that  they  must  repeal  the  house  and  window  tax. 
Thus  between  both  they  never  can  progress,  as  the  Ameri- 
cans call  it.  I  said  one  month  ago  that  they  could  not 
possibly  hold  together.  The  meeting  at  the  Crown  and 
Anchor  decided  their  fate.  The  conduct  of  those  who  met 
there  was  actually  rebellious.  I  was  the  only  moderate 
man,  or  who  confined  himself  within  legal  bounds.  These 
things  are,  of  course,  only  between  us.  But  in  reality 
nothing  could  be  more  violent  than  the  conduct  of  the 
Meeting.  I  was  received  as  well  as  an  Aggregate  in 
Clarendon  Street  could,  ivould,  should,  or  ought  to  receive 
me.4 

I  am,  as  you  perceive,  in  great  spirits.  The  Whigs 
must  go  out,  the  Tories  cannot  come  in.  The  people  of 
England  will  have  cheap  government.  They  cannot  be 
hectored  over  like  the  poor  unfortunate  Irish.  It  is  here — 


3  On  April  26  Sir  William  In- 
gilby  moved  the  reduction  of  the 
malt  tax  from  £1  Os.  8d.  to  10s.  per 
quarter,  which  was  carried  by  162  to 
152  ;  but  on  April  29  the  Chancellor 
of  the  Exchequer,  Lord  Althorp, 
moved  an  amendment  (to  Sir  J.  Key's 
motion  for  the  window  and  house 
tax)  restoring  the  malt  tax,  which 
was  carried  by  285  to  131. 


4  Aggregate  meetings  in  further- 
ance of  Catholic  Emancipation  had 
been  held  in  the  capacious  chapel, 
Clarendon  Street,  Dublin.  It  belonged 
to  Carmelite  friars,  and  was  there- 
fore out  of  the  control  of  Archbishop 
Murray,  who  had  prohibited  political 
assemblies  in  the  secular  churches 
of  his  diocese. 


348     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 

it  is  here  that  the  Eepeal  is  to  be  carried.  You  have  no 
notion  of  the  state  of  the  public  mind.  The  day  of  the 
Tories  is  gone  by,  and  everyone  asks,  What  next  ?  The 
Ministry  have  been  sitting  in  Council  since  three  o'clock, 
but  no  doubt  can  be  entertained  of  the  result.  The  Minis- 
try must  resign  this  day  or  to-morrow,  and  no  Ministry 
can  now  go  on  without  a  property  tax.5  That  is  a  tax 
which  will  rouse  the  personal  patriotism  of  all  the  Aristo- 
cracy. The  battle  between  the  landlords  and  the  fundlords 
is  raging.  The  monied  interests  would  not  give  us  cheap 
currency ;  and  now  the  people  at  large  are  not  able,  or  at 
all  willing,  to  pay  the  dividends  in  gold. 

I  am  writing  at  Brook's  amidst  many  doleful  faces. 
How  I  triumphed  over  that  scoundrel  party  who  introduced 
the  Coercion  Bill !  I  really  would  prefer  the  Tories  to  this 
Algerine  Administration.  But  the  best  of  it  is  that  we  will 
not  have  either.  It  is,  however,  in  the  agitation  of  the 
English  mind,  and  of  the  English  people,  that  Irish  safety 
consists.  The  Algerine  Ministry,  and  that  greatest  of 
vagabonds,  Anglesey,  would  easily  trample  on  us,  but  that 
the  people  of  England  are  in  a  state  not  to  be  trifled  with. 
I  do  trust,  hope,  and  begin  to  believe,  that  within  one  fort- 
night I  will  be  allowed  to  bring  in  a  bill  to  repeal  the 
Despotism  Act.  Hurrah  !  ! 

The  Eeport  of  the  Volunteers  was  an  excellent  quiz.6 
I  want  one  hundred  guineas.     If  you  can  send  them  to 
me  you  will  greatly  oblige 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  May  18,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — .  .  .  As  yet  no  Secretary  for 
Ireland.  A  Mr.  Carter  was  spoken  of,  but  is  not  to  be  the 
man.  My  own  belief  is  that  Mr.  Littleton,  member  for 


s  On  August  11,  1803,  '  the  pro- 
perty tax '  passed,  but  in  March 
1816  was  repealed. 


6  One  of  the  amusing  pasquin- 
ades which  FitzPatrick  loved  to 
throw  oft. 


1833  THOMAS  8PEING  BICE  349 

Staffordshire,  is  to  be  the  man.  He  is  supposed  to  be  of  a 
calibre  sufficient  to  keep  that  crazy  Lord  Anglesey  in  check. 
In  fact  the  great  difficulty  that  the  Government  have  is  to 
manage  that  exceedingly  foolish  and  vain  man.  I  am  in 
great  hopes  that  the  trial  of  Walsh  for  a  speech  on  the 
evidence  of  an  informer  employed  by  a  Government  news- 
paper as  a  Eeporter,  will  give  the  coup-de-grdce  to  Lord 
Anglesey  and  his  very  scoundrelly  Attorney  General. 

I  go  down  after  Mass  to-morrow  to  Birmingham  to 
attend  the  great  meeting  for  the  removal  of  Ministers.  I 
intend  to  be  back  in  my  place  in  the  House  on  Tuesday. 
I  believe  I  will  have  no  difficulty  in  disfranchising  Carrick- 
fergus. 

I  have  seen  the  Vintners'  deputation,  and  got  them  to 
assent  to  so  much  of  the  bill  as  overrules  the  rascally  dis- 
cretion of  the  Magistrates.  I  have  also  brought  them  to 
the  single  question,  Whether  the  Grocers  should  be  licensed 
to  sell  spirits  on  their  premises  or  not.  This  is  a  question  of 
great  importance,  which  no  person  but  those  in  the  Govern- 
ment should  be  called  on  to  decide,  and  it  is  one  which  must 
ultimately  fall  on  the  Government  to  decide.  I  advised  the 
Vintners'  deputation  to  wait  on  Spring  Eice 7  on  the  subject, 

and  I  beg  of  you  to  call  on and  tell  him.    I  think  there 

should  also  be  a  deputation  from  the  Grocers  to  sustain 
their  interests.  Whatever  way  the  Government  determines 
will  be  decisive. 

Are  you  preparing  your  plans  of  the  Autumnal  Cam- 
paign? 

Littleton  has  accepted  the  Irish  Secretaryship.  He 
will  be  announced  on  Monday. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

7  The    Chancellor    of    the    Ex-  duced— soon  after  the  erection  of  his 

chequer,  afterwards  Lord  Monteagle,  statue  in  that  city— a  bill  to  prevent 

previously  an  Irish  member  of  ad-  the   defacement    of    public    monu- 

vanced    political    views.      He    had  ments. 
represented    Limerick ;   and    intro- 


350     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CONN  ELL    CH.  ix. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  2nd  May,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  have  the  most  sincere  satisfac- 
tion in  complying  with  the  Eev.  Dr.  Boyton's8  request,  and 
no  request  could  give  me  greater  pleasure  than  one  coming 
from  him.  I  agree  entirely  in  the  principle  on  which  the 
exemption  of  the  present  fellows9  rests.  They  have  pur- 
chased by  unremitting  labour  the  vested  right  to  succeed  to 
the  College  livings,  and  most  certainly  ought  not  to  be  the 
only  class  of  clergymen  excluded  from  the  benefit  of  the  ex- 
emption. I  will  therefore  put  forward  or  support  their  claim, 
as  may  be  deemed  most  useful  to  their  interests.  I  will 
consult  Lefroy  on  this  subject,  or  the  Recorder,  without 
mentioning  the  request. 

The  truth  is,  we  shall  know  one  another  better  soon, 
and  then — hurrah  for  Ireland  '  a  Nation,  and  not  a  Pro- 
vince ! ' 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

May  10th,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick,  — Hurrah !  Hurrah  for  old  Ireland ! 
The  scoundrel  Whigs  are  beaten  again.  Evans  is  returned 
by  a  small  majority  of  67,  but  it  is  as  good  as  6,700.  This 
is  the  strongest  proof  of  the  utter  impossibility  of  the  Whigs 
continuing  in  office.  Burdett  must  now  resign,  as  he  de- 
clared that  he  would  not  sit  with  Evans.1  Nothing  can 
exceed  the  consternation  amongst  the  rascals  who  carried 
so  triumphantly  the  bill  to  make  silly  Lord  Anglesey  de- 
spotic. That  silliest  of  silly  creatures  is  really  the  cause 
of  all  the  loss  of  character  which  this  Ministry  have  sus- 
tained. You  have  no  notion  of  the  depreciation  of  the 


9  See  letter  of  21  February,  1833. 
9  The  Fellows  of  Trinity  College, 
Dublin. 

1  Colonel  De  Lacy  Evans,  who 


had  beaten  Sir  Francis  Burdett, 
after  a  very  riotous  election,  as  can- 
didate for  Westminster. 


1833 


NEGEO  EMANCIPATION 


351 


Ministers  in  the  public  mind  by  reason  of  their  total  dere- 
liction of  principle.  We  are  working  them  out,  believe  me, 
and  the  paltry  set  that  now  rule  Ireland  will  soon  find 
themselves  deserted  by  all  parties. 

I  have  seen  the  Government  plan  for  Negro  emancipa- 
tion.2 It  contemplates  a  loan  of  fifteen  millions,  and  a 
working  out  of  this  loan  by  the  negroes.  It  will  never, 
never  do. 

No  Secretary  for  Ireland,  and  as  yet  no  likelihood  of 
getting  one. 

I  am  on  the  Committee  of  Trade,  and  I  want  witnesses 
from  Ireland,  not  foolish  prosperity  men  such  as  Eice  had 
examined,  but  men  who  know  and  can  detail  the  dis- 
tresses of  our  Trade,  Shipping,  and  Manufactures.  Speak 
to  MacDonnell  and  others  on  this  subject,  and  let  me  have 
good  witnesses.  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Thomas  Jameson  on  this 
point  for  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  had  written  to 
me  for  a  Parliamentary  Eeport  for  that  body.  .  .  . 

Yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

(Private.)  London  :  27th  May,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — There  is  a  Mr.  Blood  will  call 
on  you  for  £31 ;  pay  it  to  him.  It  is  to  close  expenses  of 
the  Youghal  Election. 

See  Sheehan  and  Dr.  Boyton.  Speak  to  them  confiden- 
tially of  the  trial  of  Barrett.3  This  Ministry  is  tottering. 

English  journal,  the  Trite  Sun.  The 
letter  was  said  to  be  libellous,  but 
the  True  Sun  was  not  subjected  to 
a  prosecution.  Barrett  was  found 
guilty,  sentenced  to  pay  a  fine  of 
£100  and  to  be  imprisoned  for  six 
months.  Had  the  original  MS.  been 
forthcoming,  O'Connell  himself 
might  have  been  prosecuted.  The 
MS.  was  entrusted  to  John  Quinlan, 
afterwards  editor  of  the  Evening 
Post,  and  it  still  remains  in  the  cus- 
tody of  his  family. 

gheehan.of  the  Mail,\vhom  O'Con- 


2  The     Liverpool     constituency 
had  been  Liberal  until  the  Whigs 
abolished  the  Slave  Trade.     Its  mer- 
chants lost  so  much  by  this  change 
that  they  resented  it,  and  the  strong 
Conservative   tone  of  the  constitu- 
ency may  be  dated  from  that  time. 
Mr.  Gladstone's  maiden  speech  was 
in  defence  of  the  West  Indian  slave- 
holders. 

3  Richard  Barrett,  Editor  of  the 
Pilot,   was   prosecuted   for    having 
published   a    letter   of   O'Connell's 
which   had    also    appeared    in    an 


352     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 

If  they  are  defeated  on  that  trial,  it  will  be  decisive  of 
Anglesey's  fate  at  least,  probably  of  the  existence  of  the 
Whigs.  It  is  Ireland  that  is  keeping  them  in.  This  defeat 
would  shake  them  to  the  centre. 

Barrett's  Jury  is  high  Tory.  If  Sheehan  or  Dr.  Boyton 
wish  to  lay  me  under  an  everlasting  obligation,  NOW  is  THE 
TIME.  I  may  never  have  an  opportunity  to  shew  my  grati- 
tude, but  I  also  may,  and  most  certainly  I  would  shew  it 
with  drops  of  my  heart's  blood.  I  have  forgiven  and  for- 
gotten one  thousand  injuries,  I  never  yet  forgot  an  act  of 
kindness.  Some  think  I  carry  my  sense  of  gratitude  too 
far  ;  7  never  think  I  can  carry  it  far  enough.  Look  to  this 
discreetly.  You  can,  I  believe,  vouch  for  my  not  being 
ungrateful.  If  we  could  but  get  a  fair  and  impartial  Jury, 
Barrett  would  certainly  be  acquitted. 

How  can  you  be  so  weak  as  to  credit  any  idle  story  of 
my  being  about  to  be  called  to  the  English  bar,  or  to  stay  in 
this  country?  I  am  wedded  to  Ireland  for  life,  whatever 
may  be  my  Dower.  I  do  believe  that,  if  I  chose,  I  could  be 
Master  of  the  Eolls  in  this  country.  But  keep  this  fact  to 
yourself.  I  would  not  accept  the  office  of  English  Chancellor. 
In  short,  my  ambition  and  my  pride,  as  well  as  my  first  and 
most  sacred  duty,  bind  me  to  struggle  for  Ireland — and  I 
will  struggle  for  her  to  the  last.  Do  you  know  that  I  con- 
fidently expect  success?  England  can  never  again  face 
danger  without  being  compelled  to  do  justice  to  Ireland ; 
and  the  moment  that  the  Protestants  forget  ascendancy 
and  consent  to  endure  equality  with  cordial  good  temper, 
we  will  be  too  strong  for  our  enemies.  My  hopes  are  high 
and  not  remote,  because  the  tendency  of  this  country  is  de- 
cidedly for  a  change  in  its  institutions,  which  must  give  us 
an  opportunity  to  be  nationalised  once  again. 

Tell  Croker,  Codd  and  Co.  I  will  write  to  them  so  soon 


nell  tells  FitzPatrick  to  see  confiden- 
tially, had  uniformly  sought  to  weaken 
the  popularity  and  degrade  the  cha- 
racter of  the  '  Arch  Agitator,'  as  he 
styled  him.  Sheehan  charged  O'Con- 
nell  with  having  allowed  Barrett  to 


suffer  for  an  act  of  which  the  Agita- 
tor was  guilty,  and,  with  his  usual 
fearlessness,  accused  the  Government 
with  having  designedly  allowed  him 
to  escape.  (See  letter  of  July  17, 
1832,  and  its  sequel.) 


1833  A   STORM  BREWING  353 

as  I  can  see  Mr.  Bice  on  their  business.  The  law  is  mon- 
strous, and  their  case  one  of  the  greatest  hardship.  I  will 
leave  no  stone  unturned  to  get  them  redress. 


To  P.  F.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  Saturday,  June  1st,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  have  a  thousand  things  to  say 
to  you,  and  little  time  to  say  them  in.  In  the  first  place, 
the  remarks  on  the  Corn  Laws  are  very  shrewd  and  sensible. 
He  is  a  clever  man  who  made  them,  and  if  a  constituent, 
whether  friendly  or  otherwise,  I  should  be  glad  to  receive 
any  communication  from  him.  I  am  myself  an  abolitionist, 
but  if  the  Corn  Laws  are  to  remain  the  suggestions  for  their 
improvement  are  truly  valuable.  State  why  you  did  not 
communicate  the  name  of  the  suggester. 

Now  for  another  point.     Lord  Ingestre  is  gone  down  to 
Staffordshire.     A  Tory  in  my  presence  offered  to  lay  5  to 
one  that  he  would  defeat   Mr.  Littleton.     If  he  do,  the 
Ministry  must  resign,  or  if  they  totter  on,  it  can  be  only 
for  a  few  weeks.     Keep  what  I  tell  you  quite  private.     A 
friend  of  mine  told  me  that  Lord  Munster  personally  told 
him  that  the  King  was  making  his  final  arrangements  to 
turn  them  out.4    This,  you  see,  is  pretty  close  to  the  throne. 
But  then  they  have  support  near  that  throne  from  a  notion 
that  they  have  so  strengthened  themselves  in  Ireland,  that 
they  are  able  to  controul  and  keep  down  all  parties  in  that 
country.     The  defeat  of  Barrett's  prosecution  would  shake 
them  to  the  centre,  but  what  prospect  is  there  of  such  de- 
feat ?    The  Irish  ascendancy  men,  although  some  of  them 
are  more  clear-sighted,  yet  in  general  they  are  so  blinded 
by  their  former  passions  that  they  do  not  see  how  much  it 
is  their  real  interest  to  get  rid,  at  all  events,  of  this  Ministry. 
What  good,  for  example,  will  it  do  that  party  that  Barrett 
should  be  imprisoned  or  fined  ?     What  will  they  gain  by 
it?    On  the  other  hand,  an  acquittal  would  finish  the  career 

4  This  he  did.     (See  p.  503  infra.) 
VOL.  I.  A  A 


354     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O' CON NELL    CH.  ix, 

of  this  Ministry  by  dissipating  the  illusion  of  their  Irish 
power. 

The  indictment  is  one  intended  to  suppress  the  agitation 
of  the  repeal  of  the  Union.  It  states  it  to  be  seditious  to 
bring  the  Union  into  what  the  Law  calls  contempt.  It  is 
also  strange  that  the  ascendancy  party  will  not  perceive 
that,  if  they  allow  the  Eepeal  thus  to  be  condemned,  they 
destroy  one  of  the  weapons  that  it  might  be  very  useful  for 
them  to  bring  forward  again,  as  they  have  done  before,  at 
least  to  the  extent  of  threats  of  injuring  that  measure.  In 
short,  more  depends  on  a  defeat  of  this  prosecution  than 
can  well  be  calculated ;  whilst,  on  the  other  hand,  little  or  no 
benefit  will  be  achieved  to  any  Irish  party  by  its  success. 

See  Barrett,  and  tell  him  he  shall  certainly  hear  from 
me  by  Monday's  post.  John  writes  to  him  this  day.  You 
must  contrive  before  his  trial  to  give  him  £50  on  my 
account.  This  is  essential.  I  must  and  will  cheerfully 
take  care  that  no  pecuniary  damage  reaches  him  directly  or 
indirectly. 

Leave  your  direction  after  you,  that  my  letters  may  be 
forwarded  to  you  during  your  absence.  We  have  got  his 
compensation  for  Fox  Dickson,  and  I  am  in  hopes  of 
knocking  up  the  Whitehaven  shipping  monopoly  where  it 
interferes  with  the  Price  of  coals  in  Dublin. — Believe  me 

va^  '  Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  4th  June,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  wrote  to  you  yesterday  to  say 
that  I  had  a  sudden  demand  for  £500.  I  would  wish  you 
could  get  it  on  my  bill  at  three  months  from  private  hands 
without  getting  into  circulation.  ...  I  want  at  once  £200 
here  and  £100  for  Barrett.  Let  him  know  you  will  give 
him  £100  in  lieu  of  the  £50  I  mentioned  before.  ...  I 
must,  of  course,  bear  all  his  extra  expenses  as  well  as  make 
him  pecuniary  compensation  for  anything  he  may  suffer. 


1833  A   WHIG  CRISIS  55 

I  write  in  the  morning  to  say  that  the  Ministry  have 
resigned.  All  things  are  in  a  state  of  confusion.  It  can  do 
us  no  harm  that  they  should  resign.  All  must  be  for  the 
better. 

I  wrote  to  Croker,  Codd  and  Co.  after  my  interview  with 
Spring  Kice.5  That  interview  was  satisfactory. 

This  is  the  very  crisis  of  the  fortunes  of  the  Whigs.  If 
they  get  a  dominion  over  the  Lords  by  new  creations  they 
may  go  on,  but  if  not,  they  are  lost  for  ever.  The  people 
are  against  them,  and  the  King  detests  them.  More  news 
if  possible  in  my  second  edition. 

Believe  me,  yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  4th  June,  1833.  |  past  six. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  delay  to  the  last  moment  to 
give  you  intelligence,  but  in  vain  as  to  anything  decisive. 
The  Ministry  must  resign.  Whether  they  shall  be  brought 
back  by  the  people  or  not  is  another  question.  THEY  MUST 
RESIGN.  In  fact,  Lord  Grey  is  gone  for  that  purpose  to 
Windsor.  He  is  not  yet  returned.  This  visit  will  decide 
all,  as  he  must  get  power  to  create  peers,  or  he  and  his 
party  are  gone  for  ever.  It  is  not  safe  to  prophesy  as  to 
what  will  so  speedily  be  known,  but  my  opinion  decidedly 
is  that  this  Ministry  cannot  longer  hold  together,  and  that 
their  efforts  to  conquer  the  King  must  fail.  They  actually 
WANT  the  power  to  make  at  least  twenty-Jive  peers.  They  have 
not  now  the  popular  voice  with  them,  although  they  have 
a  great  majority  of  the  House  of  Commons.  A  new  Minis- 
try, strictly  Tory,  could  not  endure.  It  would  be,  accord- 
ing to  Talleyrand's  phrase,  '  Le  commencement  de  la  Jin.1 
Keep  up  the  spirits  of  the  friends  of  Ireland.  Every  change 
is  for  the  better  for  us.  We  shall  see  whether  Lord  Angle- 
sey is  to  serve  again  under  the  Duke  of  Wellington  or  not. 

Look  to  a  speedy  dissolution,   and  let  my  friends  see 

5  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer. 

A   A  2 


356     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 


whether,  with  a  Tory  Government,  it  would  not  be  better  for 
me  to  return  to  Kerry.  But  I  care  little  about  that  point. 
I  will,  of  course,  write  again  to-morrow.  Everything  is  at 
sixes  and  sevens.  It  is  a  comfort  to  have  this  scoundrel 
Administration  in  trouble.— In  haste, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  5th  June,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Tell  Barrett,6  to  whom  I  have 
despatched  a  letter,  that  Lord  Grey  is  come  back  from 
Windsor.  The  King  declared  he  would  not  accept  his  resig- 
nation, but  he  did  not  promise  to  make  peers.  I  told  you 
there  would  be  a  resignation.  The  papers  and  the  Minis- 
terialists denied  it.  You  see  the  resignation  has  been 
tendered.  They  must  have  done  it ;  and  now  we  are  in  an 
attitude  to  assail  the  Peers.  The  war  begins  to-morrow. 
We  have  again  an  adjournment.  The  Speaker  is  most  con- 
veniently sick — quite  a  propos.  You  have  no  idea  of  the 
great  revolutionary  feeling  that  is  afloat.  This,  I  repeat, 
is  the  Crisis.  The  Lords  must  become  cyphers.  I  am 
taking  a  strong  part  with  the  Government,  and  have  had 
the  honour  of  some  of  their  confidential  communications ; 
but  this  to  be  to  yourself,  not  to  be  printed  or  communicated, 
save  to  Barrett  privately.  Give  Barrett  the  £100.  A  little 
bird  whispers  me,  '  No  prosecution.'  But  no  matter.  You 
will  hear  again  from  me  to-morrow. 

We  are  in  the  throes  of  a  civil  revolution. 

Yours  ever, 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL.7 


6  Editor  of  the  Pilot. 

7  A  prominent  feature  in  O'Con- 
nell's  letters  is  the  bold  distinctness 
of  the  signature  which  franked  them 
to  their  destination.     The  illegible 
way  that  many  public  men  often  in 
pure  affectation  scrawled  their  names 
had  been  a  torment  to  the  Post  Office. 
Lord  Walsingham  was  asked  by  the 
Princess  Augusta  for  a  frank,  and 


he  wrote  one  for  her  in  characters 
so  vile,  that  the  letter,  after  having 
wandered  over  Great  Britain,  was 
opened  and  returned  to  her  as 
illegible.  The  Princess  complained 
to  Lord  Walsingham,  and  he  then 
wrote  the  frank  for  her  so  legibly 
that  after  two  days  it  came  back  to 
her  marked  '  FOKGEEY.' 


1833  JOINS   THE   WHIGS  357 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  7th  June,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  write  on  receipt  of  the  £492 
3s.  Wd.  draft,  to  acknowledge  it  and  to  return  the  draft 
accepted.  You  have  done  the  thing  in  the  best  possible 
way.  No  person  could  be  more  anxious  to  husband  resources 
than  I  am ;  but,  alas,  my  expenses  in  the  public  service  are 
enormous.  I  doubt  exceedingly  the  success  of  this  year,  and 
if  success  there  be  it  will  be  all  your  own  good  manage- 
ment. 

Yours,  &c., 

D.  O'C. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

(Confidential.)  7th  June,  1833. 

My  dear  Barrett, — First  as  to  politics.  I  joined  the 
Whig  Ministry  last  night,  and  contributed  perhaps  a  good 
deal  to  the  extent  and  satisfactory  nature  of  their  victory. 
I  have  helped  them  at  this  crisis,  which,  however,  is  not  yet 
over.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  has  the  Peers,  and  will  try 
another  battle.  There  is  a  kind  of  interregnum;  how  it 
will  end  is  uncertain,  but  this  quite  clear,  that  the  Tories 
cannot  possibly  hold  Power.  In  the  meantime  Germany  is 
in  the  actual  throes  of  a  revolution.  '  Wait  a  while.' 

My  speech  and  vote  last  night  gave  me  a  proper  intro- 
duction to  Mr.  Littleton.8  If  any  thing  can  be  done  it  is 
now.  I  am,  I  think  so  at  least,  formidable  as  an  enemy. 
I  have  shown  an  act  of  unmerited  friendship.  We  shall 
see  whether  anything  can  be  done.  Littleton  will  be  in 
town  this  day.  Act,  however,  on  your  part  as  if  there  was 
no  chance  of  anything  but  trial  and  conviction.  The  ques- 
tion is,  how  you  will  act.  You  perceive  that  I  recognise 
my  pecuniary  obligations.  All  extra  expenses,  all  usual 
expenses  and  compensation  as  far  as  money  and  my  means 
can  compensate  for  personal  sufferings — such  are  my  duties 
towards  you.  What  shall  be  your  conduct  ?  I  would  not 

8  The  new  Chief  Secretary  for  Ireland. 


358     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 


have  put  the  question  but  for  your  letter  through  Lynch. 
I  object  to  your  consulting  Staunton.9  He  has  been  at 
every  critical  moment  of  my  political  life  my  enemy — on 
the  40s.  freeholds,  on  the  Union,  on  the  attachment  motion. 
What  a  difference  between  his  conduct  and  that  unfortunate 
Lavelle l  on  that  motion !  It  was  with  difficulty  that  I  could 
get  a  respite  in  point  of  time  from  Staunton,  whilst  Lavelle 
made  up  his  mind  and  gave  it  in  writing  as  his  determina- 
tion not  to  give  me  up,  although  he  had  from  my  own  lips 
the  avowal  that  the  letter  was  mine.  I  have  not  shown  any 
gratitude  whatsoever  to  Lavelle.  To  Staunton's  interest  I 
have  been  much  attached.  I  do  not  deserve  from  him 
hostile  advice,  and  I  deprecate  your  being  led  by  him.  In 
fact,  Staunton  was  the  first  man  at  the  Irish  press  that 
announced  the  doctrine  of  giving  up  authors  to  screen 
publishers,  forgetting  that  the  publishers,  and  none  more 
than  Staunton,  reject  what  they  please  and  publish  that 
which  will  promote  their  circulation :  all  the  profit  that  can 
be  derived  from  the  transaction  belongs  to  the  publishers. 
John  Magee2  did  not  betray  Grattan;  Eneas  McDonnell3 
did  not  betray  Scully,  nor  did  FitzPatrick.4  The  three  were 
content  with  having  the  pecuniary  expenses  made  good. 
But  I  have  said  enough  on  this  subject;  more,  indeed,  than 
I  should  if  Staunton's  advice  did  not  make  part  of  your  letter. 
The  facts  between  us  are  these :  I  never  concealed  from 
you  the  state  of  the  Law,  nor  the  fact  that  every  letter  I 
ever  published  could  be(  declared  a  libel.  I  described  the 
Libel  Law  as  that  which  could  produce  a  conviction  with  a 
proper  Judge  and  Jury  for  the  Lord's  Prayer  with  due  legal 
inuendoes,  as  they  are  called.  There  was,  and  is,  nothing 
to  be  tried  between  me  and  the  Government  on  any  of  my 
letters.  Conviction  to  me  must  be  certain.  Why,  then, 
did  I  publish  in  your  paper  ? 


9  The  Editor  of  the  Register. 

1  Proprietor   of    the    Freeman's 
Journal. 

2  Proprietor  of  the  Dublin  Even- 
ing Post. 

3  Proprietor  of  the  Cork  Chron- 
icle. 


*  Hugh  FitzPatrick,  a  Eoman 
Catholic  publisher  of  Dublin,  was 
fined  £200  and  imprisoned  for  eigh- 
teen months,  in  consequence  of  one 
note  in  Scully's  Statement  of  the 
Penal  Laics. 


1833 


BARRETTS   TRIAL 


359 


Because  you  knew  the  risk  and  accepted  it.  If  I  had 
not  thought  that  you  did,  if  you  had  not  told  me  as  well 
emphatically  by  actions  as  by  words  that  you  did,  I  would 
not  have  published  in  Ireland  at  all.  Upon  the  attachment 
motion  your  conduct  was  still  more  straightforward  and 
unequivocal  than  Lavelle's.  In  short,  you  left  no  doubt  on 
my  mind  as  to  our  relative  positions.  When  I  began  to 
publish  in  the  True  Sun  I  mentioned  my  terms.  I  said, 
'  I  pay  all,  you  take  the  personal  suffering.'  It  was  agreed 
to  at  once.  I  also  may  be  mistaken,  but  am  convinced 
that  there  never  yet  was  a  moment  of  my  political  life  in 
which  it  was  so  essential  to  the  interests  of  Ireland  that  I 
should  be  at  large.  My  power  of  locomotion  in  England  as 
well  as  in  Ireland  is,  I  think,  essentially  necessary,  for  the 
sake  of  Ireland,  to  be  preserved  at  this  critical  juncture. 
To  be  sure,  I  may  be  mistaken ;  I  may  be  deceiving  my- 
self;  but  I  would  not  have  published  one  line  in  Ireland  if 
I  thought  such  publication  would  put  me  in  a  situation  to 
be  withheld  from  action  for  three  years,  a  period  which  the 
Court  of  King's  Bench  would  readily  inflict  on  me. 

You  urge  against  me  that  I  ought  not  just  now  attend 
the  Birmingham  meeting  and  other  meetings.  You  do 
not  know  the  Whigs.  To  be  respected  by  them  they  must 
feel  one  to  be  a  formidable  enemy.  They  have  always 
courted  their  enemies.  I  look  to  success  with  them  only 
from  attacking  them  with  virulence  until  they  believe  me 
formidable.  If  I  was  sentenced  there  would  be  no  chance 
of  mitigation  without  absolute  and  entire  debasement ;  at 
least  a  resignation  of  my  political  career.  I  should  there- 
fore have  been  mad  if  I  were  to  publish  in  Ireland  without 
considering  myself  safe  from  personal  detention. 

You  now  know  my  sentiments.  Except  from  your 
letter,  which  I  call  the  Staunton  letter,  I  always  heard  you 
concur  with  me  in  these  views.  I  only  add  that  the  pecu- 
niary obligations  are  mine,  and  mine  alone.  I  think 
the  personal  suffering,  subject  certainly  to  the  right  to 
the  fullest  compensation  within  my  power,  is  yours.  I  do 
not  hold  out  hopes  which  may  be  idle  and  deceptious.  You 


360     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 

will  act  as  if  I  held  out  none.  But  it  is  to  me  a  consola- 
tion to  be  convinced  that,  as  in  Tracey's  case,  the  persuasion 
that  I  could  not  be  reached  would  alone  operate  to  terminate 
the  suffering. 

I  deem  it  right  to  be  thus  candid  and  explicit.  There 
is  not  one  word  in  this  letter  that  can  be  construed  into  a 
reproach  or  a  suspicion  as  between  you  and  me.  I  only  for 
the  present  reply  to  Staunton's  advice.  I  left  his  paper 
altogether 5  simply  because  of  our  difference  on  that  point. 
Believe  me  to  be,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  ;  June  llth,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  send  you  for  Barrett  £50,  a 
cheque  on  the  Hibernian  Bank,  to  make  up  the  £100.  .  .  . 

With  respect  to  the  indictment  against  Barrett,  the  only 
way  it  could  be  laid  as  an  offence  to  repeal  the  Union  is 
by  intimidation.  It  would  not  be  an  offence  otherwise. 
Therefore  the  Government  roguishly  laid  it  that  way.  But 
in  the  article  itself  there  is  not  one  word  of  intimidation, 
so  that  they  must  be  unwise  Eepealers  who  do  not  see 
through  the  scheme.  But,  alas  for  Ireland,  there  are  some 
of  her  people  always  ready  to  fall  foul  of  the  rest,  and  this 
is  the  cause  of  our  present  degradation. 

The  Ministry  are  running  out  their  career.  'Wait  a 
while  ; '  a  little  while  will  place  us  upright. 

Your  letter  this  day  cheers  me. 

Believe  me  always,  &c.  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  '.  Monday,  June  13,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  got  your  advice  on  the  Kepeal 
too  late  to  be  of  any  use,  as  the  question  was  decided  by 

s  As    a    vehicle  for    publishing      the  national  aspirations  of  his  coun- 
these  wonderful  public  letters,  which,      try. 
like  a  trumpet  blast,  daily  awakened 


1833  CALLED   TO   OEDEE  361 

us  here  on  the  day  your  letter  is  dated.  But  I  am  bound 
in  candour  to  tell  you  that  the  advice  of  my  friends  in 
Dublin  would  not  induce  me  to  consent  to  bring  it  on  this 
Session,  because  I  know  that  any  rational  discussion  upon 
it  is  impossible  in  this  advanced  and  complicated  state  of 
the  public  business.  We  should  have  been  either  deprived 
of  a  house  by  members  going  away,  or  we  should  be  treated 
with  contempt  and  ridicule  by  men  who  are  now  thinking 
of  nothing  else  save  escaping  from  London  and  getting  rid 
of  the  Session.  You  have  no  idea  of  the  effect  which 
must  be  produced  in  this  country  as  well  as  in  Ireland  by 
the  total  and  ludicrous  failure  of  the  attempt  to  debate  it 
noiv.  It  would  literally  be  equal  only  to  the  plan  of 
'  privateering  after  the  war.' 

I  have  given  my  notices  for  the  first  day  of  the  next 
Session.  I  will  bring  them  on  the  next  thing  after  the 
King's  Speech  is  dismissed.  I  will  begin  the  actual  and 
immediate  preparation  of  my  speech  from  this  moment. 
Every  day  will  add  to  my  materials  or  to  the  arrangement 
of  them. 

See  Barrett  the  moment  you  receive  this,  and  tell  him 
I  will  begin  my  publications  again  in  the  True  Sun  of 
Monday  unless  I  hear  from  you  by  that  post,  desiring  me 
to  postpone.  It  is  necessary  that  I  should  shew  the  Irish 
nation  my  reasons  in  detail  for  opposing  discussion  this 
Session,  and  commence  my  operations  to  be  prepared  for 
the  new.  Every  day's  experience  convinces  me  that  with 
a  little  perseverance  we  shall  carry  the  Eepeal  as  the  people 
carried  the  Catholic  question,  and  now  are  carrying  the 
actual  abolition  of  tithes.  The  first  step  was  taken  last 
night.  I  had  certainly  a  great  triumph  in  the  decision  of 
the  Speaker,  who,  while  he  decided  I  was  disorderly  in 
calling  the  '  shouters  '  ruffians,  decided  that  they  deserved 
the  appellation  by  being  equally  disorderly.  I  made  a 
much  better  speech  than  is  reported — at  least  so  I  think. 

One  great  reason  why  I  would  not  bring  on  the  Eepeal 
this  Session  is,  that  it  would  give  a  fictitious  patriotism  to 
men  who  have  been  voting  badly  through  three  fourths  of 


362 


COBRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 


the  Session  ;  and  indeed  it  is  just  such  men  who  in  general 
are  for  forcing  it  on  at  present.  Only  think  of  men  who 
have  supported  the  present  Algerine  Ministry  against  the 
people  of  England  on  questions  of  taxation  working  up 
their  popularity  by  giving  a  vote  for  Kepeal  just  at  the 
moment  when  no  rational  result  could  ensue,  for  the  idea 
of  bringing  in  a  Eepeal  bill  at  this  time  of  the  Session  is 
quite  ridiculous,  even  if  there  were  a  majority  in  its  favour. 
I  repeatedly  urge  Spring  Eice  on  the  subject  of  the 
claim  of  Croker,  Codd  and  Co.,  and  I  get  repeated  promises 
of  doing  them  justice.  I  will  now  press  for  the  returns  on 
the  subject  of  the  Liffey  bill.6  I  am  promised  to  have  my 
bill  pass  the  Lords  without  more  delay. 
Believe  me  to  be, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell's  repeated  references  to  the  claims  of  Croker, 
Codd,  &  Co.  led  the  present  writer  to  make  inquiry  on 
the  point,  and  the  result  justifies  a  page  or  two.  Croker, 
Codd,  &  Co.  were  corn  factors.  The  law  required  that 
every  maltster  should  bind  himself  in  two  securities  to 
the  Crown.  The  factor  was  generally  the  surety  for  the 
country  maltster,  often  to  the  extent  of  £1,000,  and  made 
pecuniary  advances  to  him  as  well.  Most  maltsters  smuggled, 
and  discovery  entailed  a  penalty  of  £500,  which  often  fell 
on  the  factor.  Mr.  Codd  is  not  now  living  to  explain  the 
case  which  engaged  O'Connell's  attention  and  that  of  the 
Treasury,  but  two  letters  have  been  found  among  Mr.  Codd's 
papers  which  make  it  clear.  The  first  is  a  copy  of  a  letter 
to  O'Connell  dated  May  23, 1833,  in  which  the  writer  alludes 
to  the  '  known  anxiety  of  their  member  to  protect  the  in- 
terests of  his  constituents  and  of  the  little  trade  that  still 
remains  with  Ireland,'  and  encloses  a  memorial,  previously 
submitted  to  the  Treasury,  in  which  a  case  of  some  hard- 
ship is  told.  It  describes  a  seizure  of  malt  against  which 
Mr.  Codd  had  made  an  advance,  and  prayed  that  this  ad- 

the  bed  of  the  Liffey  with  a  view 
to  render  the  channel  sufficiently 
deep  for  the  navigation  of  vessels  of 
1,400  tons. 


6  The  commerce  at  the  Port  of 
Dublin  had  greatly  increased,  ne- 
cessitating new  docks.  Other  im- 
provements were  effected  by  the 
Ballast  Board,  including  the  dredging 


1833  SEVEBITY  OF   THE  EXCISE  LAWS  363 

vance  might  be  returned.  A  reply  from  '  My  Lords,'  or  a 
clerk  in  their  name,  declined  to  interfere.  The  Treasury, 
in  effect,  decided  that  the  fair  dealer  was  to  be  made  the 
victim  of  a  fraud  in  which  he  did  not  participate,  and  which 
he  could  neither  prevent  nor  discover  until  too  late.  '  My 
Lords,'  however,  had  to  deal  with  no  ordinary  man.  The 
late  Francis  Codd,  J.P.,  afterwards  chairman  of  some  public 
companies,  and  secretary  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  now 
appealed  to  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  calculating  on 
O'Connell's  influence  to  ensure  a  careful  consideration  of  the 
claim.  From  the  year  1667  malt  had  been  liable  to  duty, 
and  at  least  eighty  statutes  had  been  passed  concerning  it 
down  to  the  llth  of  George  IV.  This  perplexing  labyrinth 
of  laws  has  since  been  swept  away,  and  it  seems  not  un- 
likely that  the  following  letter  helped  to  accomplish  that 
end  : — 

'  In  the  regular  exercise  of  our  business  and  the  usual 
course  of  trade,'  writes  Codd,  addressing  Spring  Eice,  '  we 
remitted  to  the  maltster  an  advance  against  a  quantity  of 
malt  consigned  to  us  to  sell  for  his  account.  The  law 
vested  that  property  in  us ;  it  was  ours  to  the  extent  of  our 
advance,  but  by  the  exercise  of  a  despotic  excise  law  that 
property  was  seized  and  sold  by  public  auction,  and  the 
proceeds  applied  to  the  payment  of  duties  due  by  the  maker, 
altho'  by  the  present  Malt  Law  the  owner  was  em- 
powered to  consign  to  us  that  malt  as  duty  paid,  and  we 
were  deprived  of  any  means  of  ascertaining  whether  the 
duty  had  been  actually  paid  or  not,  and  although  the 
Excise  had  taken  and  were  in  possession  of  those  securities 
which  the  law  required  them  to  take  for  the  full  protection 
of  the  Revenue.  Under  these  circumstances,  to  enforce  to 
our  injury  a  mere  technical  right  of  the  Crown,  meant  only 
for  the  defeat  of  collusion  and  fraud,  would  be  to  violate 
every  principle  of  commerce,  to  outrage  every  dictate  of 
justice,  and  directly  to  destroy  all  the  confidence  of  trade. 
What  merchant  or  factor  with  this  unjust  decision  before 
him  will  hazard  his  property  by  purchasing  or  advancing 
against  exciseable  goods  of  which  he  may  be  arbitrarily  but 
legally  plundered  without  hope  of  redress  ?  The  law  is 
radically  wrong  ;  'tis  the  innocent  man  alone  whom  it  can 
prejudice,  the  swindler  only  puts  it  into  operation.  Surely 
a  power  so  essentially  unjust  and  despotic  should  be  ex- 
ercised, if  at  all,  only  for.  the  punishment  of  fraud,  and 


364    COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CON  NELL     CH.  ix. 


not  for  the  ruin  of  honest  industry.  The  privileges  of  the 
Treasury  were  never  intended  for  the  indiscriminate  en- 
forcement of  every  severe  enactment,  but  for  the  protection 
of  the  deserving  subject  through  the  exercise  of  a  wise  dis- 
cretion in  the  application  of  the  Laws.  Will  it  be  denied 
that  ours  is  a  case  of  grievous  hardship  and  entitled  to  the 
favorable  attention  of  your  Board  ? ' 7 

An  Act  modifying  the  law  came  into  operation  soon 
after,  but  it  was  reserved  for  Mr.  Gladstone  to  repeal  the 
Malt  Tax. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  19th  June,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  received  all  your  letters,  and 
thank  you  again  and  again. 

I  have  laid  Rooney's 8  petition  before  Mr.  Littleton  with 
the  strongest  recommendation  I  could  give  it.  I  am  in 
great  hopes  of  success,  but  I  would  not  raise  the  worthy 
man's  expectations  for  fear  of  a  disappointment.  I  shall 
know  to-morrow  or  the  day  after.  If  we  get  relief  from 
Mr.  Littleton,  well  and  good ;  if  not,  I  will  bring  the  matter 
before  the  house  and  the  public.  I  also  attack  Spring 
Eice  daily  on  Croker  &  Codd's  business.  I  am  promised  a 
very  speedy  answer. 

With  respect  to  politics,  we  are  not  much  advanced 
since  I  wrote  last.  The  Tories  shrank,  from  their  threatened 


7  The  law  thus  open  to  abuse 
was  flagrantly  violated  every  day. 
A  talk  with  some  old  malt  factors 
has  elicited  curious  facts  worthy  of 
record.  Maltsters  said  that  if  they 
did  not  smuggle  they  were  fined,  be- 
cause the  law  allowed  them  to  keep 
only  a  certain  amount  of  malt.  A 
Drogheda  maltster  used  to  send  to 
the  brewery  smuggled  grain  :  it  was 
despatched  on  a  cart  which  bore  no 
address ;  the  horse  was  intelligent, 
and  knew  how  to  reach  his  goal 
without  the  aid  of  a  driver.  If  it 
arrived  safely,  well  and  good ;  if 
seized,  there  was  no  evidence  to 
prove  ownership.  A  Dublin  maltster, 


named  C 1,  regularly  fee'd  the 

gauger  for  connivance.  At  last 
this  gauger  was  promoted  to  be  su- 
pervisor, and  said  to  the  smuggling 
maltster  :  '  From  the  position  I  now 
occupy  it  is  impossible  to  overlook 
this  breach  of  the  law,  and  it  must 
be  reported.'  The  maltster  opened 
his  note-book  and  read  aloud,  under 
day  and  date,  '  mems '  of  former 
'  douceurs '  to  the  same  man,  adding 
that  two  could  play  at  the  game  of 
'  reporting.'  He  continued  to  smug- 
gle and  heard  no  more  of  it. 

8  Alderman  James  Rooney,  an 
extensive  grocer  and  spirit  merchant, 
Townsend  Street,  Dublin. 


1833  <DE   OMNIBUS  REBUS  '  365 

defeat  of  Lord  Brougham  on  Monday.9  I  did  think  that 
shrinking  was  from  mere  terror  of  the  consequences.  I  am 
led  from  circumstances  to  believe  it  rather  arose  from  a 
delicacy  towards  the  King,  who  yesterday  dined  with  the 
Duke  of  Wellington.  Since  I  wrote  the  last  page  I  saw  a 
high  Tory  (who  told  me  what  might  be  a  hint  that  I  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  the  change).  He  also  says  that  the 
Tories  will  certainly  go  to  war.  Everything  is  really  in  the 
state  preceding  a  crisis  in  this  country,  and  this  just  the 
moment  when  Lavelle,1  who  has  always  availed  himself  of 
any  turn  up  to  assail  me,  and  O'Higgins,2  who  owes  me  a 
grudge  since  the  affair  of  Eeynolds's  letter,  to  insinuate  I 
know  not  what  against  me.  Heaven  help  them  !  if  any  one 
anti-Unionist  save  myself  COULD  get  what  I  could — I  tell  you  I 
COULD  get  to-morrow  or  even  this  day  for  forsaking  or  injuring 
the  Repeal — I  have  the  impudence  to  think  he  would  swallow 
the  bait.  No  matter.  Tell  Barrett  that  I  do  not  publish 
another  letter  in  compliment  to  him.  I  await  his  per- 
mission before  I  even  vindicate  myself.  I  owe  him  certainly 
this  deference.  But  to  resume.  We  will  probably  have 
elections  within  six  weeks,  perhaps  within  a  month.  I 
think  I  may  say  that  the  Tories  will  make  the  experiment. 
What  a  crisis  !  One  day  they  despair,  the  next  they  are 
going  to  battle.  If  the  elections  come  on,  are  we  quite  sure 
of  our  ground  ?  Alas  !  how  little  do  men  in  Dublin  know 

9  On    Monday,  June    17,    Lord  in  reply,  urged  that  if  the '  Liberator ' 

Chancellor  Brougham,  in    an   able  raised    in    1832    the    standard    of 

speech,  moved  that  the  House  go  into  Bepeal  because  of  a  defect   in  the 

Committee  on  the  Law  Courts  Bill.  Eeform  Act,   there  was   ten  times 

Lord  Lyndhurst  powerfully  replied,  more  reason  now,  when  a  Coercion 

and  denounced  it  '  in  the  name  of  Bill   had  passed.     Barrett's   paper, 

the  legal  profession,  from  the  highest  the  Pilot,  an  organ  of  O'Connell's 

to  the  lowest.'     Brougham  replied,  policy,   denounced    immediate   dis- 

and  the  gallery  was  cleared  for  a  cussion  as  injurious  to  the  national 

division,  but  none  took  place.  cause,    and  called   it    a   desperate 

1  Mr.  Patrick   Lavelle   was  the  experiment.       O'Connell,      in     his 

then  proprietor  of  the    Freeman's  letter  of  June  7,  praises  the  conduct 

Journal.      This    paper    powerfully  of  Lavelle,  against   whom,   in  the 

enforced  what  it  pronounced  to  be  present  letter,  he  expresses  himself 

the  imperative  need  of  an  immediate  strongly. 

discussion  in  Parliament  of  the  ques-  2  Patrick   O'Higgins    was    later 

tion    of   Bepeal.     O'Connell  depre-  known  as  '  the  Irish  Chartist.' 
cated  this  course  ;  but  Mr.  Lavelle, 


366    COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  ix. 

of  the  precarious  state  of  public  affairs.  I  am  deprived 
even  of  my  power  of  warning.  But  no  matter.  A  great 
and  merciful  God  has  hitherto  guided  every  event  for  the 
good  of  Ireland  for  many  of  the  latter  years,  and  my  mis- 
taken errors  and  political  follies  have  frequently  had  more 
beneficial  results  for  Ireland  than  any  acts  of  my  poor 
wisdom.  I  have  got  credit  for  the  result  when,  in  fact,  I 
should  have  been  blamed  for  the  rashness  and  precipi- 
tancy of  my  sudden  and  ill-considered  resolves,  and  an 
opinion  has  grown  up  of  my  political  sagacity  which  I  did 
not  deserve.  On  the  other  'hand,  I  have  been  sometimes 
attacked  without  adequate  cause.  We  are,  however,  now  at 
the  most  portentous  crisis  of  our  affairs,  and  I  perceive  that 
circumstances  are  just  now  running  away  with  my  political 
influence.  Why,  if  men  thought  me  really  honest,  would 
they  not  admit  that  I  am  in  a  position  to  see  more  of  the 
game  than  those  who,  residing  in  Dublin,  can  not  know  one 
half  of  the  circumstances  on  which  political  conduct  ought 
to  hinge  ?  We  are  arriving  at  a  crisis.  God's  holy  will  be 
done  in  everything. — Believe  me  always, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  Monday,  June  20,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — The  house  is  up.  None  of  the 
Ministers  attended  for  more  than  a  few  moments.  Many 
reports  afloat  but  nothing  certain.  The  ardent  friends  of 
the  Whigs  now  begin  to  think  that  as  the  grand  struggle  is 
delayed  it  never  will  take  place.  I  am  not  of  that  opinion. 
It  seems  as  if,  on  the  contrary,  everything  was  preparing 
for  the  fight.  In  fact,  we  are  in  a  species  of  interregnum. 
Nothing  is  stable  or  fixed.  What  a  time  to  think  of  bringing 
on  the  Eepeal  question  without  petitions  in  its  favour  !  I 
am,  however,  tired  with  this  subject,  and  will  only  add 
that,  if  I  can  get  the  management  of  the  question  I  will 
undertake  to  have  a  million  of  petitioners  before  next 
Session.  The  King  was  facetious  and  foolish  at  the  Duke 


1833  HIS  SPEECHES  'BURKED' 

of  Wellington's  on  Tuesday.  His  going  there  at  all  was 
proof  that  he  acts  under  other  advisers  than  his  Ministers. 
One  result  of  the  present  agitation  is  certain— either  the 
Whigs  go  out,  and  that  will  be  an  actual  good  ;  or,  if  the 
Whigs  stay  in,  Toryism  can  never  again  raise  its  head, 
which  also  will  be  an  actual  good. 

I  am  much  afraid  that  I  cannot  get  any  relief  for  poor 
Eooney.  His  is  a  case  of  gross  oppression,  but  the  name 
of  Anglesey  mixes  with  it,  and  the  Government  must  at 
all  hazards  protect  him.  I  will  bring  his  case  fully  before 
the  public.  It  shall  not  be  my  fault  if  he  does  not  obtain 
redress. 

I  will  follow  the  county  plan  you  suggest.  I  may  be  em- 
barrassed by  the  interference  with  my,  at  least,  honest  views. 
What  frets  me  is  that  men  in  Dublin  equally  honest  with 
myself  will  not  recollect  that  I  am  equally  honest  with 
them,  and  that  I  have  a  much  better  opportunity  of  know- 
ing how  the  land  lies,  and  what  are  the  circumstances  which 
could  render  any  discussion  available  for  any  useful  pur- 
pose whatsoever.  My  speech  on  the  Poor  Laws,  the  most 
efficient  all  to  nothing  which  I  made  since  I  got  a  seat  in 
Parliament,  was  burked.  I  intend  to  obviate  this  on  my 
discussion  of  the  Repeal  by  getting  the  True  Sun  a  set  of 
reporters  for  that  debate.  I  expect  to  have  it  last  several 
nights. — Believe  me  to  be, 

Very  faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  21st  June,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — No  further  news  of  the  approach- 
ing collision.  The  Queen  has  been,  it  is  said,  very  active 
in  her  exertions  to  procure  a  new  Ministry.  But  my  own 
opinion  is  that  the  Tories  are  frightened.  I  do  not  think 
they  will  dare  to  shew  fight,  although  some  of  their  partisans 
are  of  a  different  opinion.  Eeports  contradictory  of  each 
other  continue  to  be  created.  No  fact  can  be  relied  on  save 


368     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 

this  obvious  one,  that  the  suspense  still  continues.  We  are 
still  in  a  state  resembling  an  interregnum.  The  Ministry 
are  working  from  hand  to  mouth. 

I  will  have  no  opposition  from  Government  against  bring- 
ing in  my  bill  to  regulate  the  Corporations.  I  intend  to  divide 
the  City  into  Eight  Wards,  to  give  each  Ward  the  election 
of  three  Aldermen,  and  of  a  fourth  in  rotation  to  each. 
Each  ward  to  elect  eight  Common  Council  men,  and  to 
remodel  the  guilds,  giving  each  one  Common  Council  man, 
four  to  a  real  guild  of  merchants.  I  will  leave  almost  all 
the  rest  as  it  stands,  because  the  machine  in  itself  is  good, 
provided  it  were  well  and  honestly  worked.  The  J10 
householders  will  be  the  '  freemen '  or  electors  in  the  wards, 
save  that  every  tradesman  will  be  an  elector  in  his  own 
guild,  provided  an  apprenticeship  anywhere. 

Faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

On  June  20,  1833,  Conway,  the  Dublin  journalist,  sar- 
castically announces  that  '  the  eyes  of  all  Europe  had  been 
for  the  last  three  days  fixed  upon  St.  Audeon's  parish. 
It  was  bruited  about  that  the  public  functionaries  of  that 
patriotic  spot  were  to  assemble  for  the  purpose  of  passing 
virtually  a  vote  of  censure  on  the  Liberator.  But  certain 
parties  to  whom  he  had  given  love-powders  were  on  the 
alert.  The  belligerents  met.  Tom  Eeynolds  was  at  his  post, 
spoke  a  good  speech  against  the  Union,  and  concluded  by 
seconding  the  (virtual)  vote  of  censure.'  An  amendment 
was  moved,  and,  amid  a  scene  of  great  excitement,  lost. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  22d  June,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  am  sorry  to  find  that  18 
members  of  St.  Audeon's  parish  should  have  given  my 
enemies  such  a  triumph  over  me.  Why,  how  is  it  possible 
that  you  should  not  in  all  that  parish  have  been  able  to 
procure  fifteen  more  friends  of  mine  to  turn  the  scale? 
Well,  well,  well,  how  idle  it  is  for  every  man  to  expect  to 
be  treated  with  fairness  !  To  insinuate  that  I  interpose  a 
delay  to  carrying  the  Eepeal !  I  am  sincerely  sorry  indeed 


1833  THE   CHUBCH  BILL  369 

to  see  that  my  friend  Thomas  O'Connor 3  should  be  thus 
arrayed  in  the  adverse  ranks.  I  thought  he  knew  me 
better  than  to  believe  that  anything  but  the  impossibility 
of  doing  good  and  the  certainty  of  doing  harm  would  have 
induced  me  to  postpone  a  discussion.  It  does,  I  confess, 
mortify  me,  especially  after  your  representations  on  the 
subject. 

I  succeeded  in  a  most  important  amendment  of  the 
Church  Temporalities  Bill  last  night.  The  newspapers  do 
not  do  me  justice,  but  the  delegates  from  the  Assize  will,  I 
believe,  do  so.  They  felt  that  my  exertions,  and  the  dis- 
tinctness with  which  I  put  the  merits  of  the  question, 
carried  it ;  but  whilst  I  am  thus  praising  myself  others  are 
censuring  me  upon  a  point  on  which  I  am  perfectly  right. 
'  These  be  our  rewards.' 

The  Government  have  truckled  to  the  Tories.  I  suppose 
it  is  agreed  that  there  shall  be  no  collision  this  Session. 
One  does  not  know  what  to  think  or  how  to  judge.  The 
parties  are  manifestly  afraid  of  each  other,  and  Lord  Grey 
in  particular  fears  to  confide  to  popular  support.  In  the 
meantime  an  universal  uncertainty  prevails.  No  man  can 
tell  who  will  be  Minister  this  day  week.  I  gave  Stanley 
and  the  Ministry  a  cruel  crushing  last  night.  There  was  no 
rally  against  me  at  all,  and  even  those  who  voted  for  the 
Ministry  admit  that  no  men  ever  deserved  better  to  be 
abused.  In  the  meantime  the  Session  appears  actually 
interminable.  We  have  three  or  four  days  more  on  the 
Church  Bill,  then  the  Anti- Slavery  Bill,  Indian  Bill,  Bank 
Bill,  &c.  &c.  I  repeat  this  thing  to  you  because  I  feel 
dissatisfied  and  disgusted  with  the  triumph  that  has  been 
had  over  me  by  Keynolds4  and  O'Higgins5  and  beings  of  that 
description. 

Faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

3  A  young  barrister.  4  Tom  Reynolds,  afterwards  City  Marshal. 

5  Patrick  O'Higgins,  the  Irish  Chartist. 


VOL.  I.  B  B 


370     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  26th  June,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Feargus  O'Connor6  has  had  his 
brains  blown  out  by  the  trash  in  the  Freeman's  Journal, 
and  he  has,  without  condescending  to  consult  me,  fixed  his 
Union  debate  for  the  16th  of  the  next  month.  He  will  do 
great  mischief,  and  the  Eepealers  will,  I  trust,  shew  Mr. 
Lavelle  that  he  has  speculated  badly  in  setting  on  this  un- 
calculating  and  coarse-minded  fellow  to  do  mischief.  At 
present  my  family  are  determined  that  I  should  neither 
speak  nor  vote.  My  wife — who  in  almost  all  my  political 
resolves  has  been,  I  believe,  uniformly  right — is  strongly 
against  my  taking  any  part.  I  myself  think  I  should 
merely  stand  by  and  reply  to  some  late  speaker.  It  is 
cruel  to  have  my  plan  deranged  by  this  interloper.  His 
debate  can  do  nothing  but  mischief.7 

My  fifth  letter  will  appear  in  the  True  Sun  of  Monday. 
I  will  send  to  Mr.  Dwyer  a  letter  on  this  subject.  I  have 
written  a  great  part  of  it,  but  could  not  finish  without 
abandoning  my  Committee  duty,  which  is  not  a  little 
severe. 

This  Session  will  last  so  long  that  I  do  not  despair  of 
getting  my  Corporation  bill  through  the  house. 

The  Ship  Canal 8  I  thought  a  bubble,  but  we  have  had 
documents  laid  before  us  this  day  from  which  I  conjecture 
that  it  will  be  successful,  and  eminently  useful  to  the  health 
as  well  as  the  commercial  prosperity  of  Dublin. 


6  Feargus    O'Connor,    M.P.    for 
Cork,     son     of     Eoger     O'Connor 
{nephew  of  Lord  Longueville),  whose 
name  is  notorious  in  connection  with 
the   robbery   of    the    Galway   mail 
coach,  an  enterprise  in  which  he  is 
said  to  have  taken  part.     (See  Ire- 
land  before    the    Union.      Dublin : 
Duffy.     Vide  also  letter  of  February 
11,  1839,  and  note,  infra.) 

7  O'Connell's  presentiment  was 
verified.     The  premature  discussion 
of  '  Repeal '  gave  a  check  to  the 
agitation,  from  which,   as  will  be 


seen,   it   did   not   recover   for  nine 
years. 

8  Papers  relating  to  a  projected 
ship  canal  between  Dublin  and  Gal- 
way  appear  in  Lord  Cloncurry's 
Recollections,  pp.  288-292.  But 
doubtless  the  scheme  referred  to 
above  was  a  ship  canal  from  Kings- 
town Harbour  to  Eingsend  Docks, 
Dublin,  and  unfolded  in  a  pamphlet 
published  in  1834.  The  idea  seems 
absurd ;  but  the  intention  was  to 
enable  vessels  drawing  sixteen  feet 
to  reach  Dublin  at  any  time  of  tide. 


1833 


FREDERICK   WILLIAM  CONWAY 


371 


No  further  movement  amongst  the  Ministry,  but  they 
cannot  stand.  I  believe  some  of  the  Government  are  very 
angry  with  the  'honest  old  daggerman.'9  I  believe  he  has 
written  a  line  or  two  too  many  of  abuse.  More  of  this 
hereafter ;  but  to  me  the  creature  seems  to  have  gone  mad 
with  rancour. 

I  am,  yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  5th  July,  33. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Go  to  Jerry  McCarthy l  from  me. 
Shew  him  this  part  of  my  letter,  and  get  him  at  once  to 
make  the  arrangement  you  propose.  He  will  comply  with 
my  request  which  I  thus  make. 

You  have  heard  that  it  has  become  the  unanimous 
opinion  of  all  but  Feargus  O'Connor  that  we  should  not 
attempt  to  discuss  the  Repeal  this  Session.  If  that  discus- 
sion had  come  on  I  would,  of  course,  have  given  it  all  the  aid 
in  my  power.  But  I  could  not  have  said  this  in  public, 
because  the  silly  advocates  for  an  immediate  discussion 
would  at  once  have  called  it  a  change  of  opinion — an  acqui- 
escence on  my  part  in  the  propriety  of  their  views — and 
would  thus  have  turned  my  determination  to  do  my  duty 

a  steady  broadside  on  O'Connell  at 
this  time,  and  it  is  an  open  secret 
that  Conway  was  subsidised  by  the 
State. 

Why  some  of  the  Government 
were  ill-pleased  with  the  injudicious 
zeal  of  Conway  in  their  support 
arose  from  his  abuse  of  Boyton,  the 
foe  of  Popery,  but  who  at  heart  was 
a  patriot.  '  Dr.  Boyton,'  writes  Con- 
way,  '  is  the  most  melodious  of  the 
sweet  singers  on  the  banks  of  the 
Liffey,  and  his  music  occupies  seven 
columns  as  recited  through  his  barrel 
organ,  the  Mail.' 

1  Jerry  McCarthy  had  loyally 
followed  O'Connell  throughout  the 
earlier  struggles  of  Catholic  Emanci- 
pation, and  was  present  at  the  duel 
with  D'Esterre.  (See  p.  30,  ante.) 


9  This  alludes  to  Frederick 
William  Conway,  the  able  editor  of 
the  Freeman's  Journal,  and  subse- 
quently proprietor  of  the  Evening 
Post,  long  the  professed  organ  of 
Catholicism  and  Nationality.  Bren- 
nan,  '  the  Wrestling  Doctor,'  was 
wont  to  lampoon  him  monthly  in 
some  lines  headed,  '  Con  the  Dagger- 
man's  Diary ' : — 

Rose  at  six,  and  cleaned  my  shoes, 
Miss  Walstein's  chariot  did  abuse, 
Wrote  two  hours  against  the  town, 
Five  men's  honest  fame  run  down. 
Dressed  in  black,  and  breeches 

satin, 
In  the  Freeman  slandered  Grattan, 

&c.  &c. 

Conway's  paper,  the  Post,  poured 


11  H  2 


372     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  ix. 

under  the  most  unfavourable  circumstances  into  an  approval 
of  those  who  produced  those  very  circumstances. 

I  will  now  begin  in  earnest  to  prepare  myself  for  the 
contest.  All  my  fame,  alas,  as  an  orator  and  statesman 
depends  on  this  exertion. 

I  will  follow  your  county  and  parochial  plan.  I  will 
begin  with  the  bleak  North. 

Wait  a  few  days  before  you  begin  your  circuit.  Let  the 
discussion  question  be  at  rest  first. 

The  Commission  to  inquire  into  Corporate  Abuses  comes 
out  immediately.  Perrin  and  six  Catholic  barristers  on  the 
one  hand,  and  six  liberal  Protestants  on  the  other,  will 
make  a  searching  inquiry  into  corporate  funds,  charities, 
&c.  &c.  In  fact,  there  is  a  determination  to  probe  every- 
thing to  the  bottom. 

I  am  so  engaged  between  the  Ship  Canal  and  the  Carrick- 
fergus  Committee  that  I  wish  to  have  the  ubiquity  of  Sir 
Boyle  Eoche's  bird — to  be  in  two  places  at  once. 

Mr.  Spring  Eice,  who  has,  as  usual,  behaved  badly  to 
us  all  on  Croker  &  Codd's  business,  has  promised  to  let  me 
see  the  Eeport  made  on  this  case.  I  will  write  to  them  so 
Boon  as  I  can  get  the  perusal  of  that  document.2 

I  hope  to  leave  this  by  the  10th  of  August.  I  will  stay 
in  Dublin  only  a  few  days.  I  want  the  country  air  exceed- 
ingly, although  I  have  worked  more  and  am  in  better  health 
this  than  any  former  year. 

The  reporting  in  the  newspapers  is  scandalous.  I  made 
a  speech  last  night  on  the  Liverpool  question  which  was 
more  cheered  than  any  I  believe  I  ever  made.  The  report 
is  in  a  few  insignificant  lines,  y  & 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 
To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  July  16,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — The  Tories  are  gone  for  ever 3 — 
extinguished  beyond  and  without  hope.  They  have  stuck 

2  See  note  to  letter  of  June  13,      Autobiography  that  this  was  quite  a 
1833.  general  belief  at  the  time. 

3  Lord   Campbell  states  in  his 


1833 


THE   CRISIS   OVEE 


373 


to  the  Church  Bill,  and  the  link  that  bound  them  together 
is  broken  for  ever.  The  Session  therefore  is  drawing  to  a 
close.  The  India  Bill  is  going  through  the  House  slowly ; 
it  will  take  a  week  longer.  Then  we  have  the  West  Indies 
Bill,  which  will  require  near  one  month.  Many  of  its  pro- 
visions will  be  violently  contested.  In  fact,  although  the 
Ministry  have  determined  to  rise  by  the  15th  of  August,  I 
do  not  think  they  can  possibly  get  through  during  that 
period  half  what  remains  to  be  done.  Lord  Harrowby  sent 
in  his  adhesion  to  Government  on  the  Church  Bill  yesterday, 
about  three  o'clock.  This  made  them  give  up  the  call  of 
the  house.  But  I  would  not  be  deluded.  If  they  get  the 
support  of  four  or  five  more  Lords  they  will  command  the 
House  of  Peers,  and  then  the  direct  battle  will  arise  between 
them  and  the  Eadicals.  The  crisis  is  therefore  over  for  the 
present,  but  for  the  present  only. 

July  19,  1833. 

I  believe  every  hour  will  bring  us  nearer  to  the  creation 
of  an  anti-Orange  feeling  in  Ireland.  It  is  my  conviction 
that  this  is  the  spirit  in  which  Mr.  Littleton  intends  to 
carry  on  his  government.  If — I  repeat  it  over  and  over — 
we  were  once  fairly  rid  of  Blackburne,  I  should  expect  all 
to  be  better.  I  think  I  have  got  that  scoundrel  in  a  cleft 
stick,  as  it  is  called. 

It  is  pretty  clear  that  upon  Perrin's  motion  we  shall  be 
rid  of  Baron  Smith.  1  am  flinging  a  stone  at  the  rest  of 
the  lads  of  the  Exchequer.4 

No  news.  Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


4  '  I  moved  for  and  obtained  a 
return  of  the  hours  at  which  he  sat 
and  adjourned  the  Criminal  Court 
in  Armagh  the  preceding  Assizes, 


when  he  commenced  some  trials  after 
midnight.' — MS.  mem.  by  Mr.  Jus- 
tice Perrin,  in  the  possession  of  the 
Editor. 


374     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     OH. 


CHAPTEE  X. 

The  Crisis  over — The  Orangemen — The  True  Sun — O'ConnelPs  Quarrel 
with  the  Eeporters — Dr.  Baldwin—'  Ninety  M.P.s  would  bring  about  the 
Repeal ' — Office  again  offered — '  Littleton  is  a  famous  fellow ' — Darry- 
nane — Second  Viceroyalty  of  Lord  Wellesley — Corporate  Reform — 
Agitation  raised  against  the  House  of  Lords — Direct  Overtures  by  the 
Ministry  to  O'Connell — Eefusal  to  be  bought — '  A  Domestic  Legislature 
the  only  solid  good  for  Ireland  ' — Eintoul  and  the  Spectator — Harassing 
pecuniary  Engagements — Archbishop  Murray — Tithes — Stirling,  of  The 
Times — The  Press  prosecuted  again — Ireland  ravaged  by  Cholera — '  Who 
is  the  Traitor  ?  ' — Parliamentary  Inquiry — Startling  Words— Sheil  ex- 
onerated— '  Hurrah  for  Old  Ireland  1  ' — O'Connell  moves  for  the  Dis- 
missal of  Baron  Smith. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  July  18th,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — The  crisis  being  over,  there  are 
no  news.  The  Ministry  are  somewhat  improved  by  the 
fright  they  have  gotten,  and  the  violent  conduct  of  the 
Orangemen  in  the  North  of  Ireland  is  another  most  useful 
feature  in  the  '  case  of  Ireland '  at  the  present  moment. 
All  we  want  is  to  get  rid  of  Blackburne,  and  much  practical 
good  would  be  done.  If  Anglesey  was  not  such  an  egregious 
ninny,  we  could  easily  get  rid  of  that  scoundrel.  If  any- 
thing could  tempt  me  to  join  the  Ministry,  it  would  be  to 
cashier  Anglesey  and  to  turn  out  Blackburne.  But  I  re- 
member the  story  of  the  horse  and  the  man,  and  nobody 
shall  ride  me  even  to"  get  rid  of  the  enemies  of  Ireland, 
because,  if  I  were  once  in  harness,  I  could  not  be  free  to  work 
for  Ireland  alone  again. 

Believe  me,  &c.  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  the  True  Sun  fearlessly  gave 
insertion  to  several  letters  written  by  O'Connell,  which,  on 


1833  '  THE   TEUE  SUN'  375 

republication  by  Barrett,  became  a  ground  for  prosecution. 
The  True  Sun  was  an  evening  paper,  which  afterwards 
merged  into  the  Globe. 

To  W.  G.  Ward.1 

14  Albemarle  St. :  19  July,  1833. 

Dear  Sir, — In  conformity  with  the  accompanying  resolu- 
tions, I  take  the  liberty  of  earnestly  requesting  that  you 
will  be  pleased  to  subscribe  for  one  or  more  of  the  deben- 
tures which  are  about  to  be  issued,  with  a  view  of  placing 
the  True  Sun  in  a  position  of  greater  efficiency. 

The  importance  of  a  truly  independent  daily  paper, 
more  especially  at  a  period  so  critical  as  that  which  is 
approaching,  comes  more  apparent  day  by  day. 

The  services  which  the  True  Sun,  with  limited  means, 
has  already  rendered  to  the  productive  classes  of  the  com- 
munity point  out  that  journal  as  the  one  which  all  public 
men  of  liberal  principles  are  called  on  to  support. 

The  influence  of  the  True  Sun  is  amply  proved  by  the 
accompanying  testimonials  from  the  columns  of  contem- 
porary journals. 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  you  to  know  that  it  is  the 
intention  of  the  proprietor  of  the  True  Sun,  before  the 
next  session  of  Parliament,  to  establish  also  a  morning 
paper,  which,  if  it  shall,  more  particularly  in  its  parliamen- 
tary reports,  be  guided  by  the  same  spirit  of  impartiality 
which  distinguishes  the  True  Sun,  cannot  fail  to  confer  great 
advantage  on  the  country. 

In  the  hope  of  procuring  your  co-operation  in  the  great 
cause, 

I  remain,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Traces  of  wrath  that  the  Parliamentary  reporters  should 
have  '  burked '  his  best  speeches  bristle  up  in  this  corre- 

1  A  Whig  member  who  made  a  led  to  the  resignation  of  Lord  Stanley 

motion  that  the  temporal  possessions  and  the  reconstruction  of  the  Cabinet, 

of  the    Irish   Church  ought  to   be  (See  Fagan's  O'Connell,  ii.  309.) 
reduced.     His  motion,  though  lost, 


376     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  x. 


spondence.     O'Connell  renewed  his  attack  on  the  offending 
pressmen.     He  complained  to  the  House  that  they  had 
either  failed — from  personal  pique  or  prejudice — to  report 
him  at  all,  or  had  given  only  a  grudging  summary  of  what 
he  said.     Their  ire  was  further  exasperated  by  the  fact  that 
a  former  shorthand  writer  on  The  Times — Carew  O'Dwyer 
— seconded  O'Connell's   motion  that  the  printers  of   The 
Times  and  Chronicle  should  be  brought  to  the  Bar  of  the 
House.     The  entire  body  of  reporters  now  made  common 
cause  together,  and  published  in  The  Times  a  declaration 
pledging  themselves  never  again  to  report  O'Connell  until 
he  had  apologised  and  atoned.   Among  the  signatories  were 
Charles,  John,  and  Francis  Boss,2  the  former  afterwards 
editor  of  the  '  Cornwallis  Papers,'  Michael  Nugent,  George 
Fisher,  and  others.     O'Connell  moved  in  the  House  that 
the  printer  of  The  Times  be  brought  to  the  Bar,  and  casu- 
ally mentioned  that  '  the  reporters  had  boasted  of  having 
"  put  down  "  some  of  the  greatest  orators,  that  they  had 
overcome  a  member  of  the  present  Administration,  nay, 
that  they  had  overcome  the  Lord  Chancellor  himself,  and 
they  added  to  the  list  the  names  of  Tierney  and  Wyndham, 
the  last  of  whom  had  conciliated  them  by  a  dinner,  but  they 
should  not  put  him  down,  and  that  they  would  find.' 3     The 
threat  thrown   out   by  the  reporters — before  which  most 
orators   would   have   blanched — was   hurled  in  vain,  and 
clearly  they  had  mistaken  their  man.     He  determined  that 
if  his  speeches  were  not  to  be  reported,  neither  should  those 
of  any  other  member  of  Parliament.     But,  before  applying 
the  rod  which  he  kept  in  pickle,  he  deemed  it  well  to  put 
the  threat  to  the  test.     He  delivered  a  long  and  important 
speech  in  Parliament,  but  when  the  public  sought  it  next 
day  no  trace  of  it  could  be  found. 

So  stringent  were  the  rules  of  the  House,  that  for  a 
lengthened  period  no  man  ventured  to  take  notes  of  a 
speech,  and  it  is  told  of  Dr.  Johnson  that  when  engaged, 
by  a  magazine,  to  supply  Parliamentary  reports,  he  had 
frequently  to  compose  them  when  only  the  names  of  the 
speakers  and  the  part  they  took  had  been  communicated  to 


2  Charles  Eoss  was  a  near  con- 
nection of  Lord  Elliot,  Chief  Secre- 
tary  for   Ireland   under   Peel,   and 
afterwards  Lord  St.  Germans,  in  the 
Administration  of  Lord  Derby. 

3  Disraeli,  writing  to  his  sister  on 


April  20,  1838,  says  that  '  poor  little 
Monckton  Milnes'  speech  was  com- 
pletely smashed  by  the  reporters.' — 
Lord  Beaconsfield's  Correspondence, 
p.  105. 


1833  BOW  WITH   THE  REPORTERS  377 

him.  More  recently  it  has  been  the  experience  of  the  pre 
sent  writer,  that,  having  produced  a  pencil  to  note  a  passing 
thought,  he  was  at  once  cautioned  by  an  official  of  the 
House  that  such  was  '  strictly  contrary  to  its  Rules.'  Even 
strangers  innocent  of  blacklead  were,  and  are,  allowed  to 
remain  in  the  House  only  on  sufferance ;  and  any  member 
wishing  to  expel  them  had  merely  to  say,  '  I  think,  sir,  I 
see  strangers  in  the  gallery,'  for  the  Speaker  to  order  them 
at  once  to  withdraw.  No  sooner  had  Manners  Button 
taken  the  chair  than  these  talismanic  words  fell  sonorously 
from  O'Connell.  An  immediate  stampede  was  the  result. 
Every  part  of  the  building  was  cleared  of  strangers,  in- 
cluding the  entire  corps  of  reporters.  He  then  explained 
the  circumstances  under  which  he  had  resorted  to  an  old 
rule,  and  declared  that  he  would  persist  until  the  suppres- 
sion of  his  speeches  ceased.  The  strange  incident  was 
soon  bruited  abroad,  and  great  anxiety  was  evinced  by  the 
public  to  read  next  day  an  account  of  the  scene.  But  to 
their  dismay  the  papers  appeared  without  a  line  on  the 
subject.  The  '  barring  out '  went  on  for  ten  days,  during 
which  time  the  reporters  regularly  assembled  outside  the 
door  of  the  gallery,  not  knowing  the  moment  when  they 
might  be  invited  to  resume  their  seats.  Angry  feelings  at 
length  subsided,  and  the  reporters,  in  more  genial  mood, 
re-entered  on  their  duties. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  26th  July,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, —  ...  It  seems  we  are  to  have  the 
crisis  after  all.  Whilst  I  write  the  Cabinet  Council  is  sit- 
ting. No  person  as  yet  knows  what  they  will  do.  I  will 
not  close  this  letter  until  the  last  moment,  so  that  you 
shall  know  all  that  is  knowable. 

I  am  in  the  midst  of  my  battle  with  the  reporters.  I 
hope  they  shall  not  put  me  down.  I  am  resolved  to  give 
battle  to  the  uttermost.  If  The  Times  does  not  report 
me,  it  shall  not  report  anybody  else — that  is  flat.  Five  or 
six  successful  speeches  of  mine  have  already  been  burked, 
and,  above  all,  my  exertions  on  the  anti- Slavery  side  have 
been  concealed. 


378     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH. 


The  thing  is  settled  for  the  present :  the  Ministry  do 
not  resign.  Lord  Grey  has  just  threatened  to  do  so,  and 
he  said  that  in  case  any  other  verbal  alteration  was  made 
in  the  bill,  he  would  certainly  throw  it  up.  Thus  the 
matter  stands  for  the  present. 

(Twenty  minutes  after  six.) 

I  have  succeeded  against  the  Press — The  Times. 

I  have  got  an  order  upon  the  printer  and  one  proprietor 
of  The  Times  to  attend  at  the  Bar  on  Monday.  The 
truth  is  that  I  would  not  be  put  down. 

My  relative,  Dr.  Baldwin,4  poor  man,  attacked  me  yester- 
day. Mad  O'Eeilly 5  of  Dundalk  attacked  me  this  evening, 
but  was  put  down  by  the  Speaker,  who  has  conducted  him- 
self exceedingly  well  on  this  occasion.  I  told  you  the 
scoundrels  should  not  put  me  down.  I  believe  I  am  the 
only  man  in  either  House  of  Parliament  who  would  dare  to 
beard  so  powerful  a  Press,  which  triumphed  over  Spring 
Eice — that  was  easy — over  Windham  and  over  Tierney. 
But  I  attacked  that  Press  directly,  and  never  beat  about 
the  bush.  I  am  foolishly  proud  of  that  victory. 

Believe  me  always,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 
(Private.)  London :  5th  August,  1833. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  am,  you  perceive,  after  another  hard 
fought  field.  I  have  conquered  the  tyranny  of  the  Press. 
I  am  the  only  person  to  whom  the  scoundrel  Eeporters 
ever  struck.  They  have  done  it,  to  be  sure,  in  congenial 
Billingsgate,  but  the  thing  is  done. 

I  will  make  you  smile  at  the  lures  which  have  been 
thrown  out  to  me  to  accept  office,  but  I  need  not  tell  you  I 
never  will  whilst  Ireland  is  without  a  Parliament  of  her 


4  The  Hon.  John  Boyle,  son  of 
Lord  Cork,  had  represented  the  city 
of    Cork,   but  in   1832  was  beaten 
by  Herbert  Baldwin,  M.D.,  a  kins- 
man of  O'Connell's. 

5  William  O'Eeilly  had  been  re- 


turned for  the  borough  of  Dundalk 
in  1832,  but  O'Connell  denounced 
him  for  apathy  in  resisting  the 
Coercion  Bill,  and  he  was  never  re- 
elected. 


1833  ORANGE  POWER  379 

own.  It  is  said  by  many  that  will  never  be.  Do  not  be- 
lieve them.  I  am  tolerably  experienced  in  political  struggles, 
and  remember  I  tell  you  that  the  Repeal  is  making  great 
way  in  both  countries.  I  cannot  be  deceived  and  would  not 
deceive  you.  The  English  people  are  beginning  to  wish  it 
in  order  to  get  rid  of  the  deluge  of  Irish  paupers,  and  Irish 
workmen  in  manufactures  and  agriculture.  In  Ireland 
nothing  prevents  its  success  but  the  miserable  Orange  feud. 
The  conduct  of  the  Orangemen  on  the  12th  of  July  does 
indeed  exhibit  a  miserable  attachment  to  party  virulence. 
But  in  proportion  as  the  Government  acts  against  them 
will  their  party  zeal  cool,  and  every  addition  to  the  libe- 
rality of  the  Government  is  another  death-blow  to  the  over- 
loyal  workings  of  Orangeism.  The  Corporation  inquiry 
and  the  certainty  of  corporate  reform  are  also  means  of 
dissipating  Orange  power  and  extinguishing  the  hopes  of 
faction.  When  they  fully  understand  their  position  and  see 
that  they  have  no  interest  adverse  to  the  rest  of  the 
country,  we  will  all  be  Eepealers.  Believe  me  that  time 
approaches,  and  if  Ireland  returned  even  ninety  Eepealers, 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  bringing  about  the  Eepeal. 
I  hope  to  be  in  Dublin  within  the  next  fortnight.  Let  me 
hear  from  you  in  the  mean  time. — Believe  me  always, 
Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

(Most  confidential.)  London  :  8th  August,  1833. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  write  this  letter  as  a  really  private 
letter,  but  I  wish  you  and  my  friends  should  know  my 
movements  and  my  motives.  I  go  off  with  my  family 
to-morrow  morning  early.  I  could  not  bear  to  remain 
here  after  them,  neither  have  I  anything  to  do.  The  Grand 
Jury  Bill  is  gone  through  this  day.  It  is  as  little  mis- 
chievous and  as  positively  useful  as  we  could  make  it.  The 
Special  Jury  Bill  is  to  be  amended  on  Perrin's  suggestion 
and  mine.  It  will  be  useful,  but  of  this  not  one  word  is  to 
be  said,  and  of  course  nothing  published  until  after  the  thing 


380     COEEESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  x. 

is  done.  The  Change  of  Venue  Bill  is  to  be  allowed  to  drop 
unnoticed,  so  that  everything  is  done.  You  perceive  how 
confidential  this  letter  is.  Littleton  is  a  famous  fellow. 
You  must  not  praise  him  in  the  Pilot — at  least,  for  the 
present.  Lord  Anglesey  reads  the  Pilot,  attributes  to  me 
everything  in  it,  and  he  is  just  the  man  to  counteract  the 
good  intentions  of  Littleton  if  he  be  put  forward  at  all. 
Mark  this  particularly — ALL  WILL  BE  WELL.  The  House  will 
drawl  on  another  week.  Peel  is  gone  off,  and  so  are  nine- 
tenths  of  the  independent  members.  There  remain  only  a 
few  of  the  latter  and  a  Ministerial  majority.  I  have  been 
now  near  seven  months  attending  my  parliamentary  duty 
without  missing  one  single  day.  I  want  some  repose,  but 
the  moment  I  arrive  in  Dublin  I  will  begin  again.  We 
have  the  Ship  Canal  and  Corporate  Abuses  to  meet  about. 
I  have  already  my  sinews  arranged  to  agitate.  Eecollect 
that  we  can  get  no  good  out  of  Anglesey  but  by  his  ap- 
pearing to  be  the  person  to  do  it.  Littleton  appears  to 
me  to  have  great  tact. 

I  have  written  a  great  part  of  my  first  Chapter  on 
Eepeal.  I  will  publish  my  Eepeal  letters  through  the  True 
Sun. 

I  hope  for  better  times  for  Ireland.  The  Corporation 
abuses  commission  will  sit  on  the  25th  of  August.  I  want 
to  be  in  Dublin  to  arrange  the  evidence  on  that  subject. — In 
haste,  Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  William  Fagan,  Cork.6 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  September  3rd,  1833. 

My  dear  Fagan, — I  beg  leave  respectfully  to  acknow- 
ledge the  invitation  to  a  public  dinner  which  a  meeting  of 
the  Citizens  of  Cork  have  done  me  the  honor  to  transmit  to 
me  through  you,  their  Chairman. 

I  accept  it  as  a  proof  that  the  patriotic  and  independent 
citizens  of  Cork  sympathise  with  me  in  the  exertions  that 

6  Mr.  Fagan  was  a  kinsman  of  O'Connell's,  and  afterwards  represent 
Cork  in  Parliament. 


1833  REPEAL   OF   THE    UNION  381 

I  have  humbly  but  zealously  made,  not  only  to  advance  the 
best  interests  of  our  native  land,  but  also  to  protect  her  from 
the  wanton  and  unnatural  injury  and  debasement  of  being 
deprived  of  the  first  and  greatest  of  all  constitutional  rights, 
at  the  atrocious  caprice  of  the  mock  reformers,  ministerial 
and  legislative. 

Your  invitation  proves  that  you  concur  with  me  in  the 
just  and  inextinguishable  indignation  that  every  lover  of 
liberty  and  Ireland,  must  feel  at  this,  the  greatest  and,  I 
trust,  the  last  outrage  that  has  been  perpetrated  upon  un- 
happy Ireland  by  the  insolence  of  British  power,  combined 
with  British  falsehood  and  folly.  The  shouts  of  barbaric 
domination  with  which  the  Coercion  Bill  was  cheered  still 
ring  in  my  ears  and  enliven  my  determination  to  render  a 
repetition  of  such  a  scene  impossible — by  that  which  alone 
can  secure  the  liberty  of  Irishmen  and  the  constitutional 
connexion  of  the  two  countries — the  Restoration  of  our 
Domestic  Legislature  ! 

I  accept,  therefore,  your  invitation,  containing,  as  it 
does,  the  evidence  of  your  hearty  concurrence  with  me  in 
the  deep  conviction  that  Ireland  can  never  expect  safety  for 
her  liberties,  encouragement  for  her  commerce,  the  stimu- 
lant and  universal  advantage  of  a  domestic  market  and  do- 
mestic consumption  for  her  agriculture  and  manufactures ; 
and  greater  than  all,  freedom  from  paltry  and  vile  insult, 
without  a  peaceable,  a  constitutional,  but  a  complete  Repeal 
of  the  Union. 

But,  although  I  must  accept  your  invitation,  as  I  would 
obey  an  honored  command,  yet  I  trust  you  will  allow  me  to 
name  a  distant  day  for  that  purpose.  After  nearly  seven 
months  of  the  most  close  and  unremitting  labour  I  want 
the  calm  and  quiet  of  my  loved  native  hills — the  bra- 
cing air,  purified  as  it  comes  over  '  the  world  of  waters,' 
the  cheerful  exercise,  the  majestic  scenery  of  these  awful 
mountains  whose  wildest  and  most  romantic  glens  are 
awakened  by  the  enlivening  cry  of  my  merry  beagles  ;  whose 
deep  notes,  multiplied  one  million  times  by  the  echoes, 
speak  to  my  senses  as  if  it  were  the  voice  of  magic  powers 


382     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL      CH.  x. 

commingling  as  it  does  with  the  eternal  roar  of  the  mighty 
Atlantic,  that  breaks  and  foams  with  impotent  rage  at  the 
foot  of  our  stupendous  cliffs.  Oh  !  these  are  scenes  to  revive 
all  the  forces  of  natural  strength — to  give  new  energy  to  the 
human  mind,  to  raise  the  thoughts  above  the  grovelling 
strife  of  individual  interests — to  elevate  the  sense  of  family 
affection  into  the  purest,  the  most  refined,  and  the  most 
constant  love  of  country,  and  even  to  exalt  the  soul  to  the 
contemplation  of  the  wisdom  and  mercy  of  the  all-seeing 
and  good  God,  who  has  been  pleased  to  afflict  Ireland  with 
centuries  of  misrule  and  misery,  but  seems  now  to  have  in 
store  for  her  a  coming  harvest  of  generous  retribution. 

Permit  me  to  postpone  for  some — shall  I  say  consider- 
able ? — time  the  day  on  which  I  am  to  meet  my  friends,  and 
the  friends  of  Ireland,  in  Cork.  Do  not  tear  me  from  this 
loved  spot  until  I  have  enjoyed  some  of  its  renovating 
effects.  If  you  think  I  deserve  the  sweets  of  this  loved 
retreat,  give  me  time  to  taste  them  more  at  leisure  after  my 
fatigues  and  vexations,  and  allow  me  to  mention  a  distant 
day  for  that  on  which  I  am  to  meet  you  at  the  festive  board, 
consecrated,  in  my  humble  name,  to  the  welfare  of  Ireland. 

Believe  me,  it  is  with  regret  I  seek  this  postponement. 
I  prize  the  patriotism  of  the  Citizens  of  Cork  as  of  the 
highest  importance.  There  is  this  in  your  patriotism  that 
makes  it  of  inestimable  value — namely,  that  it  is  not  con- 
fined to  one  sect  or  party.  You  have  not  only  patriotic 
Catholics,  as  elsewhere,  but  you  have — what  is  wanted, 
alas !  in  too  many  places — patriotic  Protestants  of  several 
religious  denominations,  who  rival  the  best  friends  of  Ire- 
land in  the  energy,  the  intelligence,  and  the  pure  sincerity 
of  their  love  of  country.  .  .  . 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  6th  Sepr.  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  sometimes  fear  me  that  you 
are  not  well,  as  I  do  not  hear  from  you.  You  were  so 


1833  LORD   WELLE SLEY  AGAIN  383 

punctual  a  correspondent  that  your  silence  now  creates  the 
apprehension  of  an  unpleasant  cause.  Eelieve  my  mind 
from  this  fear. 

I  want  to  get  the  Edinburgh  magazines — Tait's  and 
Johnson's — the  New  Monthly,  the  Metropolitan,  and  the 
Irish  Magazine — all  for  September.  I  want  one  of  the 
August  magazines.  It  is  that  which  contains  an  account 
of  various  existing  Constitutions  with  two  Chambers. 

You  promised  to  send  me  Leland's  Ireland  and  Carey's 
Vindicice.  Pray  make  a  parcel  of  the  entire.  I  beg  expe- 
dition. 

Wishing  you,  my  excellent  friend,  health  and  happi- 
ness, &c., 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  Marquis  Wellesley  succeeded  Lord  Anglesey  as 
Viceroy  on  September  26,  1833.  Although  O'Connell  in 
the  following  letter  calls  him  a  '  mere  driveller,'  it  is  fair  to 
state  that  Lord  Macaulay  has  characterised  at  least  his 
Indian  policy  as  '  eminently  able,  energetic,  and  successful.' 
John  Stuart  Mill,  on  the  other  hand,  says  that  in  India 
Lord  Wellesley  had  proved  '  a  very  expensive  and  ambitious 
ruler,'  and  that  '  the  greater  part  of  his  administration  had 
been  a  scene  of  war  and  conquest — a  policy  hostile  to 
British  interests  and  cruel  to  the  people.'  Articles  of  im- 
peachment were  certainly  moved  against  him,  though  with- 
out result.  At  home  his  career  was  more  liberal.  In  1812 
he  espoused  the  Catholic  claims,  and  it  will  be  remembered 
that  his  arrival  in  Ireland  as  Viceroy  had  been  the  signal  for 
an  organised  series  of  insults  with  which  Orange  zealots 
ceased  not  to  pursue  him. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  13th  Sept.  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  can  assert  positively  that  a 
distinct  declaration  was  made  by  Lord  Althorp  that  the 
duty  paid  on  consumed  goods  should  be  refunded.  I  can 
prove  that  declaration  in  any  court  of  justice.  Of  course 
there  could  be  no  charge  on  individuals  for  duty  not  paid. 


384     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL 


CH.  X. 


It  was  a  declaration  of  refunding  that  I  spoke  of  then  lightly 
in  reply.  I  think  I  may  pledge  myself  unequivocally  to 
succeed  so  far,  but  then  I  will  not  stir  one  step  until 
the  claims  for  compensation — for  full  compensation — are 
disposed  of.  It  would  be  treating  me  badly  to  have  any 
movement  for  the  refunding  the  duty  made  until  the 
other  matters  are  definitely  disposed  of — so  far  as  the 
Government  is  concerned.  It  would  be  treating  the  prin- 
cipal sufferers  most  outrageously  ill  to  interfere  with  the  re- 
funding claim  before  the  claim  for  full  compensation  was 
definitely  disposed  of.  Let  this,  I  implore  of  you,  be 
distinctly  understood,  and  in  particular  that  my  aid  will  be 
confined  to  those  persons  who  paid  duty  and  will  wait 
until  the  other  and  greater  question  is  disposed  of. 

Excuse  me  as  well  as  you  can  to  Ffrench.  I  will  write 
to  him  to-morrow.  I  should  be  sorry  the  £500  bill  was 
protested,  but  I  see  I  cannot  help  it.  Pay  the  interest  part 
of  it,  if  it  be  renewable.  But  certainly  it  will  afflict  me  much 
to  have  it  protested.  .  .  . 

I  rejoice  at  the  coming  of  Lord  Wellesley,  who  is  a  mere 
driveller,  but  who  is  another  name  for  his  son-in-law,  Mr. 
Littleton.7  I  rejoice  most  heartily  in  the  expulsion  of  that 
scoundrel  Anglesey.  His  mortified  vanity  at  being  un- 
popular and  totally  failing  to  manage  Ireland  made  him 
ferocious  and  spiteful.  He  did  all  the  mischief  he  positively 
could,  and  he  goes  away  against  his  will  because  his  career 
was  not  any  longer  to  be  indulged  in.  Why  does  Staunton 
praise  him  ?  Never  did  any  man  less  deserve  praise.  It  is 
quite  true  that  in  1828  he  was  in  a  right  position,  and  acted 
to  a  certain  extent  well,  but  not  so  well  as  he  got  credit  for. 
But  his  present  administration  has  been  full  of  the  grossest 
faults  and  indeed  crimes.  He  armed  the  Yeomanry ;  he 
prosecuted  over  and  over  again  ;  he  allowed  juries  to  be 
packed ;  he  let  loose  the  police  and  military  upon  Tithe 
Campaigns  ;  he  fostered  the  vilest  of  Catholic  traitors  and 
Orange  delinquents,  especially  at  the  Bar.  Fie  upon  him  for 
a  Saxon  oppressor  !  But  his  day  is  gone  by,  I  think,  for  ever. 

7  The  Chief  Secretary  for  Ireland. 


1833          AVEESE   TO   CATHOLIC  ASCENDANCY  385 

Lord  Wellesley  will  be,  of  course,  every  day  more  odious  to 
the  survivors  of  the  Ascendancy  Party.  His  appointment 
shows  Littleton's  power  and  his  determination.  You  now 
can  see  that  the  Attorney- Generalship  and  the  Chancellor- 
ship in  prospective  are  at  my  command.  This  is,  of  course, 
between  ourselves ;  but  Ireland  is  my  first  and  ought  to  be 
my  only  object.  It  looks  like  affectation  to  say  so,  but  it 
is,  after  all,  proved  by  my  not  looking  for  office.  I  am 
determined  not  to  accept  any  situation,  but  surely  I  need 
not  tell  you  so !  I  look  on  the  Eepeal  not  only  as  necessary, 
absolutely  necessary,  but  as  inevitable.  He  will  have  a 
great  commingling  of  Protestants.  I  see  them  a-coming. 
The  Corporation  reform  is  of  more  vital  importance  to  allow 
them  to  be — nay,  to  make  them  Eeformers,  than  any  other 
measure  possibly  could  be.  Cultivate  for  me  Sheehan  and 
the  Mail  party ;  assure  them,  as  you  can  do,  that  I  will 
observe  the  most  sacred  good  faith  with  them  as  Eepealers. 
Tell  Sheehan  two  things.  First :  As  relates  to  himself  and 
his  personal  friends,  his  party  would  not  do  more  for  him 
than  mine  shall  and  will.  There  is  room  for  all  us  Irish 
when  we  shut  out  intruders.  Secondly  :  That  I  am  ready 
to  do  everything  the  most  suspicious  of  his  party  could  de- 
sire to  obviate  the  possibility  of  a  Catholic  ascendancy. 
Indeed  I  am  convinced  such  an  ascendancy  is  impossible  ; 
but  Sheehan's  party  may  think  otherwise,  and  they  are  en- 
titled to  be  fully  satisfied.  I  am  ready  to  commit  myself  in 
writing  to  the  terms,  and  not  to  require  any  of  their  party 
to  commit  himself  personally.  But  as  my  actions  direct 
themselves  with  the  tendency  to  secure  perfect  religious 
equality,  I  am  ready  to  commit  myself  in  writing  or  in  print 
on  the  subject  as  may  be  desired.  All  I  require  of  the  Pro- 
testant party  is  to  join  for  the  Eepeal  as  honest  Irishmen, 
sharing  to  the  fullest  extent  its  honours,  emoluments,  and 
advantages,  both  individually  and  generally. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


VOL.  i.  cc 


386     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' 'CONN 'ELL     CH.  x. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  Septr.  14th,  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — You  cannot  send  me  down  too 
much  Irish  history.  But  you  are  mistaken  as  to  one 
magazine.  That  which  I  want  is  a  London  magazine — I 
believe  the  Monthly.  I  want  it  for  its  leading  article  on 
Constitutions  having  Two  Chambers  of  Legislators.  Pray  let 
me  have  it.8 

It  is  too  late  now  to  address  the  several  Corporations. 
If  they  were  not  stimulated  by  my  Dublin  Corporation 
speech  the  fault  is  entirely  their  own,  and  I  cannot  help 
them. 

If  there  be  any  statistical  surveys  of  Antrim,  Armagh, 
Tyrone,  or  other  Northern  County,  send  them  to  me.  My 
plan  is  this.  I  am  writing  an  expose  of  my  conduct  in 
Parliament,  and  the  good  we  have  done  for  the  country. 
This  will  be  ready  for  sending  to  the  Pilot  in  two  or  three 
days.  I  will  then  begin  my  country  letters,  and  publish 
two  or  three  a  week.  I  will  include  Tithes  with  the  Repeal. 
Why  do  you  not  tell  me  when  Barrett  leaves  Dublin? 
What  an  exquisite  article  he  has  published  on  that  thorough 
scoundrel  Anglesey! 

Staunton  9  certainly  deserves  the  greatest  credit  for  his 
financial  discoveries.  His  last  is  a  '  thumper  ; '  but  he 
should  not  have  permitted  his  foolish  good  nature  to  over- 
flow with  any  kindness  for  the  harsh,  virulent,  proud,  good- 


8  O'Connell  seems  to  have  had  in 
view  the  tour  which  he  afterwards 
made   through    England,   with   the 
object  of  agitating  against  the  House 
of  Lords.     Two  long  letters  on  the 
subject  were  addressed  to  the  Leeds 
Times. 

9  The    editor   of    the    Register, 
already  referred  to,  afterwards  a  Go- 
vernment officer  of  Finance  in  Dub- 
lin.   Staunton,  though  recognised  as 
a  master  of  figures,  proved  himself, 
in  all  personal  matters,  a  bad  calcu- 
lator.    Ten  years  later  he  underwent 
some  reverses,  and  agreed  to  accept 


from  the  Freeman's  Journal  an  an- 
nuity of  £300  on  condition  that  his 
paper,  the  Morning  Register,  should 
cease.  Knowing  him  to  be  short  of 
money,  Dr.  Gray  called  on  him  one 
day,  and  bought  the  annuity  for  four 
years'  purchase.  Staunton  survived 
a  quarter  of  a  century  after  making 
this  bad  bargain.  Having  denounced 
the  Young  Ireland  movement,  he 
was  appointed  by  Lord  Clarendon 
Collector-General  of  Bates  ;  but  the 
public  accounts  fell  into  confusion 
during  his  regime. 


1833  OFFICE   OFFERED  387 

natured,  good-for-nothing,  palavering Anglesey.     His 

name  is  Scoundrel,  and  he  ought  not  to  be  forgiven  one 
letter  of  it. 

The  porter  has  arrived.  It  is  greatly  liked  by  the 
drinkers  of  malt,  of  which  I  am  not  one.  I  tried  it  yester- 
day, and  thought  it  strong  and  palatable,  but  it  seemed  to 
me  as  if  it  had  a  sourishness  of  taste.  I  am,  however,  no 
judge.1 

Believe  me  to  be,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

People  often  complained  that  O'Connell  was  too  fond  of 
applying  the  word  '  scoundrel '  to  his  enemies.  But  he  was 
at  least  impartial  in  distributing  the  epithet.  Writing  to 
FitzPatrick  at  this  time  he  says  :— 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  annoyed  I  feel  that  a  bill  of  mine 
for  £205  will  be  due  on  Monday.  I  am  the  most  stupid 
scoundrel  living  on  this  subject.  I  can  only  say  you  shall 
have  full  provision  within  the  week. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

(Private.)  Darrynane  Abbey  :  17th  Sept.  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — The  reports  of  my  taking  office 
are  now  only  so  much  less  idle  than  formerly  by  this  cir- 
cumstance, that  the  Ministry  have  made,  and  are  making, 
more  direct  offers  to  me.  They  are  also  putting  out  of  the 
way  all  those  with  whom  I  would  not  and  could  not  act. 
But  all  this  does  not  make  me  one  whit  the  less  immoveable. 
If  I  went  into  office  I  should  be  their  servant — that  is,  their 
slave.  By  staying  out  of  office  I  am,  to  a  considerable 
extent,  their  master.  Stanley  was  on  this  account  removed 
from  Ireland.  Lord  Anglesey  now  is  obliged  reluctantly  to 
retire.  Blackburne  will  be  put  on  the  shelf.  But  all  these 
relate  to  men  ;  what  I  want  are  measures.  In  the  three 
hours'  dialogue  I  had  with  Lord  Anglesey,  when  he  was 
first  appointed  by  the  Whigs,  my  constant  reply  to  every 

1  See  note  on  O'Connell's  Brewery,  p.  421. 

c  c  2 


388     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0'  CONN ELL      CH.  x. 

approach  to  my  own  interests  was,  first,  '  What  will  you  do 
for  Ireland  ?  '    The  answer  was, '  Everything.'    Now  '  every- 
thing '  means  nothing ;  and  indeed  the  Administration  since 
has  proved  it.     Without  taking  office  I  will  be  able  to  get, 
1st.   a   number   of  bad   magistrates   removed;    2nd,   the 
Yeomanry  disarmed  ;  3rd,  the  tythes  abolished ;  4th,  the 
establishment  of  the  Protestant  Church  reduced  in  every 
parish  the  overwhelming  majority  of  whom  are  Catholics 
or  Dissenters  ;  5th,  to  have  offices  filled  with  Liberals  to 
the  exclusion  of  Orangeists.     These  are  great  things,  and 
instead  of  soliciting  some  of  them,  as  I  should  do  were  I  in 
office,  I  will  command  them  when  out  of  office.     Add  to 
these  the  redress  of  Corporate  abuses,  and  you  will  see  that 
prospects  advance  for  the  Irish  people,  and  I  must  keep  out 
of  office  to  be  disengaged  to  forward  the  movement,  instead 
of  being  a  clog  on  the  wheel,  which  I  should  necessarily  be 
if  in  office.     Then  lastly,  but  first  in  order  of  magnitude, 
there  is  the  Eepeal  of  the  Union.     We  never  can  thrive 
without  the  Eepeal.     Nothing  prevents  the  irresistible  force 
of  the  cry  for  Eepeal  but  the  remaining  strength  and  hopes 
of  several  of  the  Ascendancy  Party.     All  the  measures  I 
speak  of,  and  especially  the  Corporate  Eeform,  are  brain 
blows  to  that  faction.     '  Wait  a  while,'  and  you  must  see 
the  strongest  Eepealers  in  that  party.    They  will  be  bitter  ; 
we  are  merely  determined.     It  is  impossible  not  to  see  with 
half  an  eye  these  two  things :  first,  that  the  Orange  party 
are  necessarily  disengaging   from   day   to   day  from   the 
Government ;  and,  secondly,  that  when  once  they  lose  power, 
as  they  are  daily  losing  it,  they  have  only  to  lose  the  hope 
also  of  restoration  in  order  to  make  them  have  no  other 
inducement  to  action  save  the  good  of  Ireland,  unless  it 
be  animosity  to  the  Ministry,  which  will  in  that  case  give 
increased  energy  to  their  exertions.     Believe  me  that  if 
God  is  pleased  to  spare  my  life  but  a  few,  very  very  few 
years   longer    (perhaps   months  would   do,    and   I   believe 
months  ivill  do),  I  will  certainly  have  multitudes  of  Pro- 
testants of  my  party  for  the  Eepeal. 

But  may  not  the  Eepeal  be  dispensed  with  if  we  get 


1833  HOME  RULE  389 

beneficial  measures  without  it  ?  This  is  a  serious  question, 
and  one  upon  which  good  men  may  well  differ ;  but  it  is 
my  duty  to  make  up  my  mind  upon  it,  and  I  have  made  up 
my  mind  accordingly — that  there  can  be  no  safety  for,  no 
permanent  prosperity  in  Ireland  without  a  repeal  of  the 
Union.  This  is  my  firm,  my  unalterable  conviction — a  con- 
viction which  it  requires  only  a  knowledge  of  the  British  par- 
liament, and  indeed  of  human  nature,  to  render  irresistible. 
We  must  have  the  Irish  rents  spent  in  Ireland.  We  must 
have  no  foreign  landlords.  Let  those  who  will  not  live  in 
Ireland  sell  their  Irish  estates.  The  rents  of  Ireland  must 
be  spent  in  Ireland  !  Irish  affairs  must  be  managed  by 
Irishmen ;  and,  indeed,  they  certainly  will  be  so  managed 
so  soon  as  hope  becomes  extinct  in  the  Orange  leaders. 
Yes,  the  Ministry  are,  as  the  Mail  truly  says,  doing  my 
work  infinitely  more  decidedly  and  efficaciously  than  I 
could  myself.  Ireland  will  be  a  nation  again. 

I  now  imagine  you  will  see  how  impossible  it  is  I  should 
accept  office.     I  will  do  better ;  I  will  watch  the  officers. 
Ever  yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL.2 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  20th  Septr.  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Pay  Scully  a  small  account  I 
owe  him,  of  about  four  pounds.  I  believe  all  my  money 
dealings  are  now  wound  up  until  November.  ...  I  send 
by  this  post  a  long  rambling  letter  for  publication  to 
Barrett.  It  is  the  first  of  those  letters  which  shall  appear 
at  least  twice  a  week  whilst  I  am  out  of  Dublin.  I  smile  at 
the  alacrity  with  which  so  many  are  voting  me  into  office, 
and  crowing  over  the  abandonment  of  the  Repeal.  This 
letter  will,  I  think,  convince  them  that  I  will  not  take  office, 

2  Part   of   this  letter  has   been  give  to  his  countrymen  a  picture  of 

published  by  O'Keeffe  in  the  Life  of  this  interview  between  the  cozening 

O'Connell,  ii.  561 ;   but  he  does  not  and  deceptive   lord,   who  would  do 

know  to  whom  it  is  addressed.     The  '  everything    for    Ireland,    and   the 

biographer  adds:    'An  Irish  artist  virtuous  commoner  who  would  accept 

will,  we  trust,    some  day   or  other,  nothing  for  himself.' 


390     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  x. 

and  that  I  will  not  abandon  the  Repeal.  There  is  a  lull  in 
politics  just  now,  but  the  land  breeze  will  soon  spring  up, 
and  we  shall  have  a  stiff  gale  before  we  are  much  older.  I 
pause  to  obtain  Protestant  aid.  That  is  now  my  leading 
object.  I  want  the  Government  to  throw  the  Protestants 
into  the  ranks  of  the  Eepealers,  and  my  ardent  fancy 
makes  my  reason  the  more  easily  convinced  of  a  truth 
which  nobody  can  rationally  doubt,  that  the  Government 
are  doing  nothing  for  me  '  mighty  neatly.' 3 

May  God  bless  you,  my  good  friend.  Write  to  me  when 
you  conveniently  can. 

Always  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Gerald  Crean.* 

Derrynane  Abbey  :  11  Oct.  1833. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  would  at  once  write  to  you  and  fix  with 
the  Committee  for  a  day  to  hold  the  dinner  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Josephian  Charity,  but  that  I  cannot  ascertain  when 
I  shall  be  in  Dublin  or  how  long  I  may  remain  there.  The 
first  display  in  Parliament  on  the  Repeal  question  is  one 
which,  to  do  it  justice,  would  require  months  of  seclusion ; 
and  I  should  wish  to  remain  here  until  I  had  made  the  far 
greater  part  of  my  preparations,  because  I  am  one  of  those 
whose  opinions  are  daily  more  fixed  that  no  solid  or  sub- 
stantial good  can  be  done  for  Ireland  until  we  have  a 
domestic  Legislature  in  Dublin. 

To  Wm.  Pagan,  M.P. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  20th  October,  1833. 

My  dear  Fagan, — Are  my  friends  in  Cork  still  ready  to 
honor  me  with  a  public  dinner  ?  If  so,  I  could  and  would 
be  with  them  on  Monday,  the  10th  November — I  should  add, 
if  that  day  appeared  to  them  suitable.  The  truth,  however, 


8  'Nate — mighty  nate,' is  a  catch- 
phrase  constantly  used  by  one  of 
the  characters  in  Lady  Morgan's 
Florence  MacCarthy. 


4  Gerald  Crean  was  brother  of 
Martin  Crean,  sometime  secretary 
of  the  Repeal  Association. 


1833  OUGHT  HE   TO  BE  A  JUDGE?  391 

is,  that  matters  of  this  kind,  if  once  allowed  to  grow  cool, 
are  difficult  to  be  warmed  again  into  activity.  I  therefore 
consult  you  rather  as  my  private  and  kind  friend  than  as 
the  Chairman.  Let  the  matter  drop  if  there  be  any  indis- 
position to  put  it  on  its  right  legs  again.  If  it  shall  go  on, 
I  hope  to  see  the  Members  of  the  County  on  the  occasion. 
Barry  is  a  prime  good  voter,  and  unaffectedly  right  on  all 
occasions.  O'Connor5  may  be  sometimes  a  little  self-willed, 
but  he  is  calculated  to  be  a  useful  man,  and  I  have  a  great 
regard  for  him.  I  say  nothing  of  the  City  Members;  they, 
if  they  approve  of  my  course  of  action,  ought  to  be  enter- 
tainers, not  entertained. 

You  perceive  I  write  to  you  in  the  most  perfect  confi- 
dence. My  movements  will  be  guided  by  your  reply. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

A  second  letter  to  Mr.  Fagan,  dated  Oct.  26,  1833,  dis- 
cussed some  Parliamentary  proceedings  now  forgotten.  '  I 
have  had  my  two  months'  play  days,'  he  writes,  '  and  I  am 
as  ready  and  willing  as  ever  to  agitate  for  Old  Ireland.  We 
must  get  every  parish  to  petition  for  abolition  of  tithes 
total  and  unequivocal,  and  above  all  and  before  all,  for 
Eepeal.'  'Yes,'  he  adds,  'we  will  re-establish  the  Irish 
Parliament  by  the  peaceable,  legal,  and  constitutional  com- 
bination of  Irishmen,  to  which  legislators  yield,  in  order  to 
obey  a  sentiment  not  to  be  resisted,  because  universal. 
Ireland  will  set  another  example  to  the  nations  of  the  world 
of  the  mode  in  which  great  political  changes  ought  to  be 
brought  about ;  that  is,  without  a  crime  or  an  offence, 
without  sacrifice  of  property,  and,  above  all,  without  one 
drop  of  blood.' 

The  dinner  duly  took  place. 

To  Robert  Rintoul.6 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  30  Oct.  '33. 

.  .  .  You  justly  say  that  the  Government  ought  not  to 
make  me  a  judge;  you  intimate  that  I  would  make  a  bad  judge. 

5  Feargus  O'Connor.  apostle  of  Philosophical  Eadicalism. 

6  The  original  proprietor  of  the       Born  1787,  died  1858. 
Spectator,    and    described    as     the 


392     CORRESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   0' CONN ELL     CH.  x. 

In  this  I  am  inclined  to  concur  with  you.  I  should  be 
subject  to  two  temptations :  the  one,  of  favouritism  towards 
the  partisans  of  my  own  opinions ;  the  second,  the  equally 
vicious  and  more  paltry  affectation  of  impartiality  in  leaning 
in  favor  of  '  the  enemy,'  and  thereby  doing  injustice  to  my 
friends.  This  is,  after  all,  the  common  practice  of  patriot 
lawyers.  I  never  knew  a  prerogative  lawyer  who,  when 
promoted  to  the  Bench,  did  not  adhere  to  his  former  party. 
I  never  knew  a  popular  partisan  at  the  bar  who,  upon  the 
bench,  did  not  favour  the  party  heretofore  opposed  by  him. 
Even  if  I  escaped  either  vice — the  partiality  of  party  or  the 
partiality  of  affected  candour — yet  in  such  a  country  as 
Ireland  now  is  I  could  not,  as  a  judge,  get  credit  for 
virtues  which  I  would  feign  natter  myself  I  possess ;  and 
justice  would  be  tarnished  by  suspicions  of  my  integrity  if 
she  escaped  pollution  from  my  crimes. 

It  follows,  upon  the  whole,  that  there  is  nothing  for  me 
but  to  continue  my  practice  of  agitation ;  voting  for,  and 
promoting,  to  the  extent  of  my  feeble  powers,  every  mea- 
sure conducing  to  lessen  the  burdens,  or  increase  the 
franchises,  of  the  British  people;  but  always  recollecting 
that  my  first  and  last  thought,  act,  and  exertion  belong  to 
Ireland. 

Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Mr.  John  O'Connell,  in  a  note  before  me,  refers  to  certain 
pecuniary  arrangements  which  his  father  had  contracted 
early  in  life  by  '  a  too  great  readiness  in  going  security  and 
accepting  bills  for  a  person  who  left  him  in  the  lurch.  These 
engagements  hampered  and  harassed  him  during  upwards 
of  twenty  years  of  his  life,  and,  in  fact,  made  that  life 
often  miserable.' 

A  great  number  of  the  letters  addressed  to  his  financial 
agent,  Mr.  FitzPatrick,  refer  to  these  harassing  engage- 
ments. Such  as  have  no  public  interest  I  omit,  but 
sufficient  allusions  remain  to  let  the  reader  see  how  his 
liabilities  pressed. 


1833  HIS  MOVEMENTS  393 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  31st  Oct.  1833. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  enclose  you  a  cheque  for  £32. 
I  have  taken  up  the  £236  bill. 

I  leave  this  to-morrow  after  Mass.  I  go  the  next  day 
but  one,  Saturday,  to  Killarney;  on  Sunday  evening,  to 
Macroom ;  on  Monday,  to  a  public  dinner  at  Cork ;  and  get- 
ting out  of  the  way  to  Clongowes  on  Sunday,  the  10th,  I 
intend,  God  willing,  to  reach  Dublin  by  the  llth,  to  re- 
main there  until  the  House  of  Commons  meets  in  February, 
and  to  proceed  with  all  manner  of  due  agitation.  I  am 
perhaps  out  of  spirits,  unjustly  or  without  cause,  but  I  feel 
a  sensation  of  desertion  of  me  when  I  ought  not.  This, 
however,  is  certain,  that  I  never  will  desert  the  country — 
and  less  now  than  ever.  I  will  write  to  you  again  from 
Killarney.  Be  assured  that  no  man  could  be  more  grateful 
to  another  than  I  am  to  you.  What  alarms  me  principally 
is  that,  although  I  see  some  newspaper  puffs,  I  do  not  see 
anywhere,  save  in  Cork,  the  organisation  which  could  promise 
success. 

Barrett's 7  paragraphs  about  Walker  and  Sullivan 8  are, 
I  see  by  the  scoundrel  Freeman,  attributed  to  me.  Well,  I 
cannot  help  it,  but  they  do  most  certainly  contain  my 
sentiments  of  both  those  gentlemen,  and  whatever  be  the 
result  to  myself,  I  cannot  regret  that  those  paragraphs 
have  appeared.  They  are  strictly  true. 

May  God  bless  you,  my  good  friend  !     Tell  all  ivhom  it 
may  concern  that  I  intend  to  be  in  Dublin  on  the  llth. 
Yours  gratefully,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL. 

I  doubt  whether  my  Parliamentary  duties,  to  which  I 
shall  devote  myself,  will  allow  me  to  attend  to  law  busi- 
ness. What  are  you  doing  in  Dublin  ?  I  know  that  some 

7  Richard  Barrett,  editor  of  the       Walker,    M.P.    for    Wexford,    and 
Pilot.  on  Richard  Sullivan,  M.P.  for  Kil- 

8  Strictures  on    Charles  Arthur       kenny. 


394     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  x. 

of  the  clergy  there  are  not  over  friendly,  but  this  we  must 
not  observe.9 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

Athleague  :  12th  Nov.  1833. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  beg  to  dissent  from  an  assertion, 
or  rather  insinuation,  of  yours  on  my  plan  of  agitation. 
You  convey  the  idea  of  my  desiring  to  postpone  the  peti- 
tions for  the  abolition  of  tithes  to  those  for  '  the  Eepeal.' 
If  you  really  think  so  you  are  quite  mistaken ;  my  opinion 
is  very  different  indeed. 

I  began,  the  moment  I  came  back  into  Ireland,  by  call- 
ing for  petitions  for  the  total  abolition  of  tithes.  I  repeat 
that  call  noiv.  I  ask  for  an  Anti-Tithe  petition  meeting  in 
etery  parish  in  Ireland  not  under  the  immediate  opera- 
tion of  the  Coercion  Bill,  and  wherever  that  monstrous 
law  prevails,  I  ask  for  a  petition  to  be  circulated  for  signa- 
tures from  house  to  house.  There  never  was  a  time  when 
it  was  so  necessary  as  it  is  at  present  to  petition  for  the 
total  and  unqualified  extinction  of  tithes. 

I  have  heard  it  said  that  in  military  affairs  it  is  infi- 
nitely more  difficult  to  make  good  use  of  a  victory  than  to 
gain  one.  I  know  it  is  so  in  political  affairs,  or  rather 
that  in  political  affairs  the  most  critical  and  dangerous 
moment  to  the  popular  party  is  that  which  for  that  party 
ought  to  precede  a  complete  and  final  triumph.  It  is  at 
such  a  moment  that  the  enemy  is  too  much  despised,  and 
the  popular  force  is  overrated.  We  are  disposed  to  rely  on 
our  friends  and  on  half-converted  enemies,  and  not  upon 
the  only  safe  resources — our  own  exertions. 

We  are  arrived  at  this  critical  moment — the  victory  is 
all  but  won,  we  are  on  the  point  of  complete  success ;  if 
we  do  not  now  contrive  to  desist  from  exertion;  nay,  I 
should  rather  say,  if  we  now  redouble  our  exertions.  It 
is  absolutely  necessary  that  the  loud,  the  unequivocal,  the 
unanimous  voice  of  Ireland  should  be  raised  on  this  sub- 

9  Archbishop  Murray's  sympa-  ment,  and  his  clergy  took  their  tone 
thies  were  with  the  Whig  Govern-  from  him. 


1833  REPEAL   OF   THE    UNION  395 

ject.  I  therefore  call  upon  every  single  parish  instantly  to 
prepare  a  petition  for  the  extinction  of  tithes,  not  in  name 
only  but  in  reality. 

It  is  time  to  begin ;  the  parsons  are  up  and  stirring, 
they  are  again  enforcing  the  odious  tithes,  they  are  be- 
ginning to  distrain,  to  sue,  to  accumulate  costs,  and  to 
sell.  Since  the  world  began  there  never  was  such  political 
hypocrisy  displayed  as  by  the  parsons  and  their  advocates 
in  the  House  of  Commons.  .  .  . 

But  you  are  quite  right  in  stating  that  the  great  and 
leading  object  of  my  political  life  is  the  Eepeal  of  the 
Union. 

For  the  present  I  shall  content  myself  by  thus  an- 
nouncing that  I  require  one  million  of  petitioners  to  secure 
success.  Let  me  have  one  million  of  male  petitioners, 
affixing  their  signatures  or  their  marks  to  the  demand  for 
the  Eepeal,  and  I  have  the  certainty  of  success.  But  let 
the  people  of  Ireland  recollect  that  it  is  necessary  to  show 
the  English  nation  how  universal  the  desire  is  to  place  the 
connection  of  the  two  nations  on  a  different  legislative 
footing.  Unless  we  do  so  we  cannot  expect  to  be  favour- 
ably heard.  It  is  therefore  obvious  that  the  great  exertion 
for  Eepeal  is  to  be  directed  to  multiply  petitions  and  signa- 
tures of  this  more  speedily. 

I  am  greatly  pleased  with  the  attacks  of  The  Times 
upon  me  on  this  subject,  and,  above  all,  on  the  deplorable 
nonsense  which  the  writers  of  that  paper  put  forward  as 
arguments  against  the  Eepeal.  You  are  aware  that  we 
must  shew  up  by  real  names  and  characters  the  persons 
who  write  for  that  paper.  At  the  first  half  leisure  moment 
I  will  give  you  sketches  of  the  two  principal  writers — the 
one,  a  thin-skinned  adventurer  of  the  name  of  Barnes ;  the 
other,  with  something  of  a  tougher  hide,  of  the  name  of 
Stirling.  We  will  trace  him  through  his  different  changes 
— now  an  Irish  barrister,  then  a  Captain  of  Militia,  then 
a  parson,  and  lastly  the  Great  Unknown  of  The  Times, 
who  is  saluted  with  awe  by  the  ci-devant  Whigs  and  now 
beplaced  Tories  of  'Brooks's  Club.'  Mr.  Stirling  is  not 


396     COBBESPONDENCE   of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  x. 

known  at  The  Times  as  the  stage  falsehood  of  the  scene. 
Nor  do  I  see  why  old  Walter  himself  should  escape.  He 
uses  an  engine  to  assail  others  as  from  a  masked  battery. 
We  will  assail  him  under  our  own  names,  and  besides  more 
ancient  stories,  we  will  be  able  to  give  some  curious  details 
of  the  virtues  by  which  he  purchased  the  blushing  honors 
of  the  Berkshire  representation.  Hurrah  for  the  literary 
war !  .  .  . 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

London  :  Saturday  [Nov.  1833]. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  have  heard  of  all  the  stages  of  the 
intended  prosecution  against  you.1  The  downfall  of  the 
present  Ministry  may  prevent  it,  but  at  all  events  and  on 
every  contingency  you  can  command,  and  you  may  rely 
on  me.  I  will,  of  course,  do  all  that  is  right,  and  if  pro- 
sperity ever  smiles  distinctly  on  me  you  shall  share  it.  I 
will  also  share  your  adversity.  In  short,  command  me  to 
the  fullest  extent.  Let  me  hear  from  you  if — or  I  rather 
should  say  I  fear,  when  the  Bills  are  found.  There  is 
nothing  whatsoever  in  the  point  of  my  concentrating  the 
Volunteers.2 

The  Ministry  must  go  out — the  people  will  not  bear  the 
Tories.  But  the  great  and  cheering  prospect  is  from  the 
state  of  dissatisfaction  of  the  public  mind.  Our  allies  are 
amongst  the  English  people,  who  will  not  allow  the  taxes 
to  be  paid.  You  cannot  imagine  how  high  my  expectations 
are.  They  may  be  disappointed,  but  I  do  confidently  be- 
lieve they  will  not ;  at  all  events,  I  cannot  express  in  words 
my  gratitude  to  you,  nor  shall  you  ever  find  yourself  dis- 
appointed with  me.  You  command  me. 

Believe  me  always,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


1  For    publishing    a    letter    of 
O'ConnelPs  alleged  to  be  libellous. 

2  On  the  threatened  suppression 
of  the  Society  of   Irish  Volunteers 


for  Eepeal  of  the  Union,  O'Connell 
claimed  to  be  their  concentrated 
essence.  (See  ante,  p.  336  ct  seq.) 


1834  A   EOLAND  FOB  AN   OLIVEE  397 

To  Sir  Henry  W.  Jervis,  Bart.3 

Merrion  Square  :  9th  January,  1834. 

Sir, — You  ask  who  are  to  be  understood  as  '  THE  PEOPLE, 
the  source  of  legitimate  power  '  ? 

I  reply.  All  those  not  possessed  of  prerogative  or 
privileged  capacities,  Not  the  King  in  his  corporate  capa- 
city— not  the  peers  in  their  privileged  state — but  all  those 
who  are  neither  King  nor  peers.  In  short,  the  Commons, 
for  whose  benefit  the  King  ought  to  reign ;  and  for  whose 
benefit  alone  the  privileges  of  the  peers  ought  to  exist. 

Here  I  would  close,  but  that  I  cannot  allow  you,  unre- 
proved,  to  exhibit  in  a  letter  to  me  so  much  of  an  uneven, 
and,  I  must  add,  an  ignorant  haughtiness  of  language  to- 
wards the  people  and  popular  institutions.  You  presume 
to  talk  to  me  of  the  '  dregs  '  of  the  people.  Who  do  you 
dare  to  call  amongst  the  people  by  the  abusive  epithet  of 
'  dregs '  ?  Not  the  rich  and  the  titled,  I  warrant,  but  the 
laborious  and  the  poor.  Now,  as  to  the  poor  and  labouring 
classes,  I  will  not  allow  you  to  claim  any  personal  superi- 
ority over  them.  You  thought  fit  to  bestow  your  tedious- 
ness  on  me  for  a  long  half-hour,  during  which  you  conde- 
scended to  exhibit  to  me  your  views  on  various  local  and 
general  topics,  and  I  can  confidently  assert  that  I  have 
frequently  received  in  five  minutes,  from  one  of  the  poor 
and  labouring  classes,  more  information,  and  more  sound 
views  of  public  policy,  than  I  did  from  you  in  your  entire 
half-hour. 

Again,  Sir,  you  presume  to  assail  the  spirit  of  demo- 
cratic liberty — the  only  rational  spirit  of  freedom — by 
calling  a  democracy  '  the  worst,  the  most  brutal,  and  sense- 
less of  tyrannies.'  How  ignorant  you  must  be  of  the  first 
elements  of  political  history,  and  how  utterly  blind  to  the 
scenes  that  are  passing  before  your  eyes  ! 

What  country  in  the  world  is  it  in  which  the  national 

3  Sir  Henry  Jervis,  Bart.,  of  the       O'Connell   in  the  bluff  style  of  an 
county  of  Wexford,  was  an  officer       old  sailor, 
of   the  Royal  Navy,   and  addressed 


398     COBRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL      CH.  x. 

debt  is  on  the  verge  of  inevitable  extinction;  in  which 
taxation  is  on  the  point  of  being  reduced  to  the  lowest  pos- 
sible quantity  ;  '  in  which  peace  reigns  within  its  borders  ; 
in  which  abundance  crowns  the  labours  of  the  fields  ;  in 
which  commerce  and  domestic  industry  flourish  and  in- 
crease ;  in  which  individual  happiness  rewards  the  private 
virtue  and  enterprise  of  the  citizens ;  and  which,  in  fine,  is 
as  honoured  abroad  as  it  is  prosperous  at  home '  ? 

What  state  is  thus  respected  by  foreign  powers,  and 
thus  happy  in  its  internal  relations  ?  It  is  a  democracy — 
a  democracy  without  one  single  admixture  of  monarchical 
or  aristocratical  principle  —America  ;  and  yet  there  you 
are,  with  two  eyes  in  your  head,  appearing  to  have  some 
'  speculation '  in  them,  and  you  venture  to  call  this 
democracy  the  worst,  the  most  brutal,  and  senseless  of  all 
tyrannies ! 

Prejudice  might  close  your  eyes  to  the  political  state  of 
America,  but  can  you  be  so  ignorant  as  not  to  know  THAT 
Athens,  with  a  territory  not  so  large  as  some  of  our  coun- 
ties, has  written  her  name  in  the  annals  of  glory  as  fore- 
most in  prosperity,  valour,  arts,  sciences,  public  and  private 
virtue  !  Yet  Athens  was  a  democracy.  THAT  Eome  during 
the  four  hundred  years  of  her  history,  in  which  her 
democratic  spirit  predominated  over  her  aristocracy,  was 
as  prosperous  at  home  as  she  was  triumphant  abroad — 
THAT  Venice,  during  a  space  of  more  than  eight  hundred 
years,  rose  from  a  fishing  village  to  power  and  wealth,  and 
glory  and  domestic  prosperity,  by  means  of  her  then  pure 
democracy — indeed,  into  such  strength  and  power,  that  it 
required  near  six  hundred  years  of  the  withering  hand  of 
aristocratic  selfishness  to  reduce  her  once  again  to  village 
weakness  and  debility  !  Nay,  know  you  not  that  proud 
England  herself  owes  her  superiority  over  the  nations  of 
Europe  to  that  greater  portion  of  the  spirit  of  democracy 
which  mingled  with  her  institutions  ? 

I  have  clone  with  you,  Sir  Henry.  I  sought  you  not, 
nor  do  I  shrink  from  you.  This  correspondence  will  con- 
tinue as  long  or  as  short  as  you  please.  The  choice  is 


1834  TEIAL   OF  BAEEETT  399 

yours,  but  for  your  own  sake  do  not  again  insult  any  part 
of  the  people  by  contemptuous  nicknames,  and  do  not  vio- 
late truth  and  history  by  senseless,  if  not  brutal,  attacks 
on  the  only  truly  rational  and  the  most  salutary  institu- 
tions. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Eeference  has  been  made  on  a  previous  page4  to  the 
trial  of  Eichard  Barrett.  It  had  been  arranged  that  Sheil, 
whose  name  is  mentioned  in  the  following  letter,  should 
defend  him;  but  a  few  hours  before  the  day  of  trial  O'Con- 
nell  resolved  to  lead  in  person,  feeling  it  a  point  of  honour 
to  do  his  best  in  bearing  scathless  the  journalist  who  had 
refused,  at  great  peril,  to  give  to  the  Government  a  legal 
proof  that  O'Connell  was  the  writer  of  certain  incriminating 
letters.5  The  jury  were  Tories  of  the  old  school,  but  O'Con- 
nell talked  of  their  sense  of  honour,  and  hurled  a  fierce 
tirade  against  the  Whigs  more  violent  and  seditious  than 
anything  Barrett  had  published,  while  he  utilised  the  occa- 
sion by  delivering  a  powerful  argument  in  favour  of  Eepeal 
of  the  Union.  Barrett  was  now  expiating  his  offence  in 
Kilmainham  Gaol. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

Friday,  Feb.  21st,  1834. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  am  so  engaged  about  you  that  I 
can  think  of  nothing  else.  I  am  happy  indeed  to  say  that 
all  England  is  up  in  arms  on  this  point.  The  Times  is, 
indeed,  decisive.  The  Statute  will  be  at  once  repealed,  or 
you  will  get  a  free  pardon.  Say  nothing  of  this — publish 
nothing  of  what  I  write  to  you  until  the  Pilot  or  the 
Patriot  comes  out  '  proprio  vigore.'  I  write  only  to  relieve 
you  from,  I  trust,  all  uneasiness ;  at  all  events,  you  may  rely 

4  See  letter  of  Sept.  27,  1833.  evidence.      Bull  was  appealed    to, 

&  Some  time  previous    to    this  and  remonstrated   with.     Contrary 

date   an  Orange  compositor  named  to   general   expectation,  the   man's 

Bull   contrived   to   accumulate    the  better    feelings   prevailed.     He  ga- 

MSS.  of   several  actionable  attacks  thered  up  the  manuscripts  and  cast 

in     O'Connell's     autograph.       The  them    into    the  fire. —  The    late  A. 

Tribune   and  his  friends  were   dis-  Carew  O'Dwyer  to  the  Editor,  De- 

mayed  on  hearing  of  this  formidable  cember  6,  1859. 


400     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' 'CONN 'ELL      CH.  x. 

on  me,  and  I  do  hope  and  believe  that  this  persecution  will 
be  only  a  new  advertisement  of  your  paper.  I  did  not 
expect  so  much  of  public  sympathy.  Believe  me,  it  will 
be  irresistible.  I  will  write  to  you  every  day.  Sheil  made 
a  great  impression  on  all  the  Members  of  the  House.  The 
attack  on  property  is  the  chief  stimulant  in  England.  It 
will  enable  us  to  carry  before  us  all  opposition. 

Publish  that  immediate  steps  will  be  taken  to  re-establish 
the  Pilot.  Call  on  the  Irish  people  in  your  name  and 
mine  not  to  desert  you  at  this  juncture.  Be  argumentative 
and  firm  without  violence  ;  but,  in  truth,  in  this  state  of 
transition  I  am  not  sobered  down  enough  for  advice.  All 
I  know  is  that  you  SHALL  NOT  be  the  sufferer. 
Ever  yours  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  Feb.  11,  1834. 

Exert  yourself  above  all  things  to  get  new  subscribers 
[for  Barrett].  Get  every  street  in  Dublin  ransacked  for 
subscribers  for  the  Pilot,  and  call  on  Mr.  Dwyer  to  aid 
him  in  forwarding  my  circular.  Do  not  lose  sight  of  this. 
Suggest  to  me  any  other  steps  I  can  take.  I  am  preparing 
my  Reply  to  that  paltry  creature  Lord  Cloncurry,  though, 
Heaven  knows,  I  have  enough  to  do  besides  ;  but  no  matter. 

The  allusions  to  '  Hill's  Treason '  in  succeeding  letters 
demand  explanation.  Mr.  Matthew  Davenport  Hill,  M.P., 
stated  that  some  of  the  Irish  members  who  denounced  the 
Coercion  Bill  in  the  House  had  privately  expressed  opposite 
sentiments.  Thirty  members,  including  O'Connell,  asked 
Mr.  Hill  if  they  had  been  referred  to,  and  received  a  negative 
in  reply.  Letters  and  leaders  appeared  in  the  popular 
press,  headed,  '  Who  is  the  Traitor  ? '  At  last  Mr.  Sheil 
put  a  question  to  Lord  Althorp  in  Parliament,  which  elicited 
the  reply,  '  The  honourable  member  is  one  of  them ! ' 
Sheil  denied  the  charge  in  solemn  terms,  and  as  both  re- 
fused to  give  a  guarantee  that  '  the  matter  now  before  the 
House  should  not  be  prosecuted  out  of  its  walls '  both  were 


1834  'WHO  IS   TEE   TRAITOR?'  401 

taken  into  custody  by  the  Sergeant-at-arms.  However,  on 
the  necessary  pledges  being  given,  the  distinguished  cap- 
tives regained  their  liberty.  An  inquiry  was  held;  Hill 
called  witnesses ;  but  Macaulay  refused  to  speak.  With  great 
emotion  Hill  held  out  his  hand  to  Sheil,  and  the  Committee 
came  to  an  end  by  acquitting  him. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

London  :  7  Feby.  1834. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  hope  you  have  received  the  £100 
from  P.  V.  FitzPatrick.  We  thought  it  was  a  subscription 
for  Dungarvan,6  but  you  know  it  is  not.  It  is  on  account 
of  salary.  I  hope  to  see  you  fidly  paid.  No  man  ever 
deserved  it  better — nay,  none  so  well.7 

You  perceive  that  we  have  got  the  business  of  Hill's 
Treason  in  full  blow.  The  moment  that  Lord  Althorp 
avowed  his  share  of  the  calumny  it  would  have  been  idle  to 
think  of  sticking  to  such  small  fry  as  Hill.  He  has,  therefore, 
been  let  off  altogether — at  least  for  the  present.  The  more 
I  reflect  on  the  transition  from  him  to  the  Government  the 
more  convinced  am  I  that  the  prudent  course  has  been 
taken.  We  are  now  at  direct  war  with  the  Government 
upon  the  subject  of  the  treason  charge.  I  am  quite  con- 
vinced that  we  shall  have  a  compleat  triumph  for  Sheil, 
The  Tories  are  certainly  with  us.  Every  independent  man 
in  the  House  is  with  us,  and,  remember,  I  tell  you  the  facts 
are  with  us.  I  repeat  my  conviction  that  Shell's  triumph 
will  be  compleat.  The  charge  has,  indeed,  dwindled  down 
from  a  mountain  to  a  molehill,  but  even  the  molehill  must 
be  crushed.  On  Monday  I  will  certainly  move  for  a  Com- 
mittee. They  will  give  it  to  me  or  they  will  not.  If  they 
do  give  it,  then  we  will  have  a  compleat  acquittal.  If  they 
do  not,  they  shrink  from  the  trial,  and  our  triumph  is,  if 
possible,  greater.  Hurrah  for  Old  Ireland  ! 

I  never  conceived  that  the  Government  and  the  parlia- 

6  The  Dungarvan  election,  when  retary   to    several    political    bodies 
Pierce  George  Barron  was  beateu  by  acting  under  the  auspices  of  O'Con- 
Ebenezer  Jacob.  nell.     He  died  in  1837. 

7  Edward  Dwyer  worked  as  sec- 

VOL.  I.  D  D 


402    CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  x. 

ment  of  this  country  had  half  the  rancorous  hatred  to 
Ireland  which  I  have  perceived  since  I  came  here.  The 
fact  is,  they  perceive  we  are  becoming  too  great  and  too 
strong  for  their  domination,  and  they  hate  us  just  in  pro- 
portion as  they  fear  us.  If  we  can  but  keep  the  people  of 
Ireland  tranquil,  if  we  can  keep  down  Whitefeet  agitation 
and  crime,  we  shall  have  the  Protestants  joining  us  in 
shoals,  and  then  the  Eepeal  is  inevitable. 

Send  every  where  to  the  Country  for  Eepeal  petitions. 
Let  me  have  them  over  as  speedily  as  possible.  Despatch 
every  petition  the  moment  you  receive  it.  Urge  everybody 
to  do  the  same.  But  do  not  be  sending  to  me  Petitions  for 
the  Lords.  It  is  too  bad  to  be  asking  me.  .  .  . 

[End  lost.] 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  Friday,  7  Feby.  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Many,  many  thanks  for  your 
kind  attention  to  all  my  commands. 

Sheil's  business  will,  believe  me,  end  triumphantly  for 
him.  Already  he  is  more  than  half  acquitted.  His  going 
to  any  part  of  the  Ministry  is  now  denied ;  the  advising  to 
enforce  a  Bill  which  he  opposed  is  given  up.  Something  said 
in  private,  inconsistent  with  his  opposition  to  the  Bill  itself, 
is  all  that  is  now  insisted  on.  I  have  got  the  management  of 
the  cause,  and  I  hope  in  my  vanity  that  it  will  not  fail  in 
my  hands.  If  it  do  it  will  be  all  my  fault.  Sheil  is  plainly 
free  from  guilt  or  from  stain.  The  only  difficulty  is  to 
ensure  his  triumph  without  so  strongly  damaging  the 
Ministry  that  their  minions  may  interfere  and  prevent  our 
success,  or  at  least  diminish  its  splendour. 

I  find  the  House  of  Commons  more  intolerant  of  Ireland 
than  it  was  last  Session — hating  us  more — more  disposed 
to  do  us  mischief.  It  is  a  disposition  which  will  evince 
itself  in  some  overt  acts  before  this  Session  is  over.  Well, 
it  will  make  more  honest  as  well  as  determined  Eepealers. 

I  got  the  paper  containing  Baron  Smith's  charge.  I  hope 
to  have  a  committee  appointed  on  his  case  next  Thursday. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


1834  SHEIL  FREE  FROM  STAIN  403 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

12th  Feby.  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Sheil's  case,  I  have  reason  to 
believe,  is  going  on  admirably.  Do  not  publish  anything 
on  the  subject ;  nor  am  I  at  liberty  to  say  one  word  on  the 
subject,  but  keep  '  the  friends '  in  good  spirits.  Shell  will 
triumph.  Give  £50  as  soon  as  you  can  to  the  Dungarvan 
Election  if  the  contest  goes  on.  I  confess  I  am  exceedingly 
nervous  about  it,  and  am  right  glad  that  Maurice  8  went 
down  there.  His  going  will  be  a  matter  of  exultation  to 
our  enemies  if  we  be  defeated,  but  in  any  event  it  will  be  no 
small  consolation  to  me.  I  will  then  not  have  to  blame 
myself.  I  hope  to-morrow's  post  will  bring  me  intelligence 
decisive  the  one  way  or  the  other  on  this  subject.  I  am, 
indeed,  impatient.  It  will  be  a  triumph  to  us  or  over  us. 

The  public  attention  here  '  out  of  doors ' — as  our  slang 
is — is  so  engrossed  with  the  assessed  taxes  that  they  think 
of  little  else.  In  either  way  Friday  next  will  either  give  an 
impetus  to  the  public  mind  on  this  subject,  or  disengage  it 
for  other  and  more  useful  purposes. 

I  thank  you  for  the  punctuality  of  your  correspondence. 
It  is  quite  a  consolation  to  me  to  get  your  letters. 
Always  yours  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  Friday,  Feb.  14,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  am  without  any  Dungarvan 
news,  but  lo  triumphe !  here.  Hill  came  into  the  Com- 
mittee this  day  and  made  a  very  handsome  apology  for 
having  made  the  charge  at  all ;  declared  that,  as  well  from 
the  evidence  already  given  as  from  his  own  particular  en- 
quiries, he  was  now  convinced  that  the  charge  was  totally 
unfounded,  and  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  beg  Mr.  Shell's  pardon. 
We  are  now  engaged  in  drawing  up  the  report.  It  is  most 
satisfactory,  and  gives  Sheil  in  every  respect  the  most  com- 

8  His  eldest  son. 

D  D  2 


404     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL    O'CONNELL     CH.  x. 

pleat  victory.     It  remains  to  be  seen  what  Lord  Althorp 
will  now  do. 

My  victory  in  Baron  Smith's  case9  is  also  another  subject 
of  gratulation.  The  fact  is  that  Littleton  and  the  Ministry 
came  down  to  the  House  determined  to  oppose  my  motion. 
But  I  made  so  strong  a  case  for  inquiry  that  they  felt  I 
ought  not  to  be  resisted.  The  debate  was  curious.  The 
Ministry  were  divided,  but  you  see  I  had  a  decided  majority. 

I  will  to-morrow  write  to  you  to  make  inquiries — ne- 
cessary for  the  Committee.  In  the  mean  time  find  out  wit- 
nesses to  prove  Baron  Smith's  delays.  What  newspaper 
did  his  speech  first  appear  in  ?  Send  me  an  abstract  of  the 
calendar  at  the  Sessions  at  which  the  charge  was  made, 
containing  the  names  and  crimes. — In  haste, 

Yours  very  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Mem.  by  Mr.  FitzPatricTc. 

I  declined  to  mix  myself  up  with  the  proceedings  against 
Baron  Smith.  His  long  course  of  liberality  in  politics,  his 
humanity  as  a  judge  and  accomplishments  as  a  scholar, 
had  rendered  him  up  to  this  time  an  object  of  admiration 
to  me.  Mr.  O'Connell,  in  a  subsequent  letter,  says  he 
respected  my  sentiments  in  this  particular. 

9  On  Feb.  13,  O'Connell  brought  duties  and  of  political  partisanship, 

forward  in  the  House  of  Commons  The  motion  was  carried,  but  a  few 

a  motion  of  censure  against  Baron  days  later  was  rescinded. 
Smith   for    neglect   of  his   judicial 


1834 


CENSURE   ON  BARON  SMITH 


405 


CHAPTEE   XI. 

Dungarvan  Election — Motion  of  Censure  on  Baron  Smith — Secretary  Little- 
ton again — Ireland  ravaged  by  Cholera — Destructive  Fire — Burial  Service 
rudely  prevented — Catholic  Cemeteries  projected — '  O'Connell's  Brewery ' 
— Great  Commercial  Distress — Canterbury  Cathedral— Sir  Emerson  Ten- 
nant — Motion  in  Parliament  on  Kepeal — Anxious  Preparations  for  Ora- 
torical Contest  with  Spring  Eice — He  Desponds — The  Tug  of  War — 
Eesult — James  Magee — Tom  Keynolds— The  Agitation  for  Repeal  sus- 
pended— Sharman  Crawford — R.  More  O'Farrell — 'My  Tithe  Plan  is 
shaking  the  Cabinet ' — The  Derby  Dilly— The  Irish  National  Bank 
started — The  Reporters  refuse  to  take  down  O'Connell's  Speeches — A 
Row  and  its  Result — Private  Understanding  between  the  Irish  Govern- 
ment and  O'Connell — Scene  between  Littleton  and  the  Liberator — An 
Expos^— Althorp,  Grey,  and  Littleton  resign. 

IN  1834,  on  the  death  of  its  old  representative,  the  Hon. 
William  Lamb,  a  new  writ  was  issued  for  the  borough 
of  Dungarvan.  Pierce  George  Barron,  a  Catholic  of  local 
prestige,  came  forward  as  a  candidate.  Considerable  ex- 
citement prevailed  ;  but  O'Connell's  voice  rose  above  the 
storm. 

'  I  surely  need  not  warn  you,'  he  said,  '  against  the  in- 
trigues of  the  Castle,  and  the  wretched  sophistry  of  the 
advocates  of  deception.  Pierce  George  Barron  is  respectable 
in  private  life,  but  he  is  contemptible  as  a  politician.  He 
was  always  found  at  the  side  of  the  enemies  of  his  country, 
and  he  now  desires  to  go  into  Parliament  to  preserve  his  con- 
sistency, and  still  to  vote  in  support  of  the  present  paltry 
Administration — an  Administration  which  has  shown  energy 
only  against  Ireland. 

'I  cannot  write  more  for  this  post.  I  now  write  only  to 
caution  you  against  delusion,  deception,  and  Pierce  George 
Barron,  and  to  assure  you  that  there  is  an  honest  Eepealer 
about  to  solicit  your  votes  as  a  true  friend  to  Ireland.' 

The  -'  true  friend'  was  Ebenezer  Jacob.  O'Connell's 
remark  in  the  following  letter,  as  regards  the  '  desertion  of 
John  Galwey,'  is  explained  by  a  letter  from  Purcell  O'Gor- 
man,  for  many  years  secretary  to  the  Catholic  Association. 


406     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  xi. 

Galwey  had  been  one  of  the  ablest  captains  in  the  campaign 
against  the  Beresford  power  at  the  Waterford  Election 
in  1826,  and  was  now  himself  member  for  that  county. 
O'Gorman,  addressing  'My  dear  John'  (i.e.  Galwey),  in 
a  letter  marked  '  Private,'  says  that  he  read  with  indig- 
nation O'Connell's  public  animadversions  on  him,  and  that 
no  one  has  aught  else  to  expect  who  did  not  become  his 
slave.  Galwey  should  at  once  declare  for  George  Barren, 
as  'you  will  get  exactly  the  same  credit  as  if  you  were 
neutral.  O'Connell's  party  always  distrusted  you ;  they 
smiled  as  long  as  you  worked  with  them ;  the  moment  their 
object  is  gained  they  will  throw  you  away  like  a  squeezed 
orange.' 

O'Connell  had  subscribed  £100  for  Jacob's  election,  and 
O'Gorman  with  asperity  added  that,  although  he  never  got 
the  money  of  the  people,1  HE  would  privately  give  the  same 
sum  towards  Barren's  expenses.  The  contest  was  close  and 
bitter.  Jacob,  the  nominee  of  O'Connell,  headed  the  poll 
by  a  majority  of  thirty-six. 

Amongst  the  papers  in  my  hands  is  a  letter  from  John 
O'Connell,  the  Liberator's  brother,  addressed  to  Purcell 
O'Gorman,  from  which  it  would  appear  that  O'Gorman 
complained  to  John  of  alienated  friendship  on  the  part  of 
'Dan.'  This  letter  is  dated  June  4,  1834.  John  cannot 
even  conjecture  what  led  to  it ;  but  the  reason  will  be  clear 
to  the  reader.  John  writes  : — '  My  dear  Purcell,— I  was 
greatly  mortified  to  see  that  Dan  and  you  were  at  variance. 
I  meet  him  so  seldom  that  I  cannot  even  conjecture  what 
led  to  it ;  but  this  I  will  say,  that  the  cause  ought  to  be 
serious  indeed  that  would  induce  a  man  to  break  with  a 
long-tried  and  valued  friend,  and  one  with  whom  he  acted 
for  so  many  eventful  years,  and  on  such  terms  of  intimacy 
and  confidence  as  subsisted  between  him  and  you.'  O'Con- 
nell's letter  of  March  12, 1829,  in  which  he  pleads  for  Purcell 
O'Gorman,  will  be  remembered. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 
(Private.)  London :  Monday,  Feb.  17,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Many  thanks  for  your  commu- 
nications about  Dungarvan.  They  have  set  my  mind  at 

'  See  O'Connell's  letter  to  Lord  Shrewsbury,  vol.  ii.  p.  284. 


1834 


PUECELL   O'GOBMAN 


407 


perfect  ease.  Indeed,  the  return  of  Jacob  is  one  of  the 
most  pleasing  events  of  my  life,  especially  after  the  deser- 
tion of  John  Galwey.2 

You  must  send  me  over  witnesses'  names  for  the  com- 
mittee on  Baron  Smith.  He  behaved  very  ill  at  Dundalk  ; 
he  also  behaved  ill  on  the  Castlepollard  affair. 

1st.  Can  you  get  me  witnesses'  names  to  prove  his 
partiality  to  some  Orange  murderers  at  Dundalk,  and  his 
severity  to  some  Catholic  rioters  there  ? 

2d.  What  evidence  of  misconduct  can  I  get  as  to 
Castlepollard  Trials — I  mean  the  trials  of  the  Police  for  the 
massacre  at  that  town  ?  Write  to  Father  Burke  privately 
on  this  subject. 

3dly.  Give  me  the  names  of  the  proprietors  of  the 
newspapers  to  which  Baron  Smith  sent  his  charge  at  the 
October  commission,  also  the  names  of  the  reporters  for 
those  papers. 

4thly.  Send  me  the  names  of  any  other  reporters  who 
heard  his  charge,  and  can  testify  to  its  general  accuracy. 

5th.  See  Sir  D.  Eoose  for  me,  and  get  from  him  pri- 
vately, and  in  the  strictest  confidence,  the  names  of  the 
persons  who  can  prove  the  loss  his  son's  client  sustained 
last  term  by  Baron  Smith's  late  sitting.  I  want  to  prove 
the  hour  he  sat  each  day,  so  as  to  shew  that  his  usual  hour 
for  sitting  was  as  late  as  half  after  twelve  to  ^  after  one, 
or  later. 

6th.  See  Fearon,  the  sub- sheriff,  on  this  subject,  and 
act  with  him  also  in  confidence.  He  will  tell  you,  as  he 
is  a  sincere  friend  of  mine,  what  he  and  others  can  prove 
respecting  the  hours  of  sitting  after  Lent 3  term. 


2  In  1832  John  Galwey  had  con- 
tested Dungarvan  and  polled  370 
votes.  Three  years  later  he  op- 
posed an  utter  stranger,  Sir  Michael 
O'Loghlen,  for  the  same  borough,  but 
polled  merely  88,  so  powerful  was 
O'Connell  in  destroying  the  popu- 
larity of  any  man  who  refused  to 
recognise  him  as  leader.  Barron 
was  appointed  stipendiary  magistrate 
for  Mayo ;  O'Gorman  became  County 


Court  Judge  for  Kilkenny.  '  The 
first  Viceroy  who  took  me  up  was 
Lord  Anglesey,'  remarked  O'Gor- 
man long  after.  '  Nay,'  replied  Con 
Leyne,  '  to  my  knowledge  Lord 
Cornwallis  took  you  up  in  '98.' 
This  was  perfectly  true,  O'Gorman 
having  been  lodged  in  Ennis  gaol 
for  complicity  in  the  Rebellion. 
3  Easter  Term. 


408     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CONN  ELL     CH.  xi. 

7th.  Give  me  as  much  assistance  as  you  can  respecting 
every  point  of  evidence  included  in  my  charges  against 
Baron  Smith. 

More  to-morrow. 

Yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  Thursday,  Feb.  20,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Take  the  enclosed  at  once  to 
Barrett.  Tell  him  I  bid  you  read  it,  so  as  to  be  prepared 
to  speak  with  you  upon  its  details.  I  wonder  you  and 
Staunton  did  not  consult  Pigot 4  before  you  resolved  upon 
any  course. 

If  Pigot  be  not  in  Dublin,  consult  O'Loghlen  and  Perrin 
professionally  as  to  whether  Barrett  may  not  safely  work 
off  the  stamps  which  he  has  already  got  in  continuing 
the  publication  of  the  Pilot.5  My  opinion  is  that  he  can  do 
so  safely.  There  is  no  penalty  added  in  the  21st  sec.,  and 
I  take  it  that,  without  the  reiteration  of  the  penalty,  none 
would  accrue. 

The  second  plan  suggested  is  that  Barrett  should  be- 
come proprietor  of  the  Patriot.  Let  the  opinion  be  taken 
whether  he  is  entitled  to  stamps  as  proprietor  of  another 
paper. 

Then,  if  not,  we  must  get  a  proprietor.  We  surely  are 
not  so  destitute  of  friends  as  not  to  get  some  person  who 
will  run  the  risk  of  proprietorship,  passing  his  bond  for  a 
large  sum  as  the  price.  I  will  indemnify  any  such  person. 
I  will  engage  Barrett  as  editor  of  the  Pilot  or  of  the  Patriot, 
whatever  name  is  the  better,  at  a  salary  to  be  paid  by  me. 
I  will  run  the  risk  of  the  actual  proprietor  paying  me  the 
proceeds  of  the  paper,  or  of  any  sum  in  lieu  thereof.  I 
will  not  require  any  promise  or  contract  from  such  pro- 
prietor to  pay  me  any  thing.  In  short,  I  will  do  every  act 

4  Afterwards  Chief  Baron  Pigot.      Pilot.    No  newspaper  in  those  days 

5  This  letter  refers  to  the  prose-       could  be  printed  unless  on  a  sheet  im- 
cution   of  Richard  Barrett,  of  the      pressed  with  the  Government  stamp. 


1834  BAEEETTS  TROUBLES  409 

necessary  to  make  the  purchaser  of  the  paper  the  real 
proprietor  of  it.  He  must  run  the  risk  of  libels ;  that  is 
all. 

Consult  with  Barrett.  Look  about  you.  Get  somebody 
"between  you  who  will  take  the  temporary  risk  of  libels,  for 
certainly  the  clause  under  which  he  is  proscribed  must  be  re- 
pealed. If  nobody  else  will  take  that  risk  I  will,  for  Barrett 
must  be  sustained. 

I  was  not  aware  of  this  Act  until  I  had  the  notice.  Lay 
the  copy  of  the  indictment  against  Barrett  before  the  lawyers 
you  consult.  Let  them  say  whether  it  be  an  indictment 
coming  under  the  terms  of  the  Act.  Send  me  also  a  copy 
of  the  indictment. 

In  short,  we  must  bestir  ourselves.  I  repeat,  Barrett 
must  not  be  the  sufferer.  I  infinitely  prefer  going  to  jail 
myself  to  having  him  thus  suffer. 

If  the  new  proprietor  be  a  person  of  character,  let  him 
set  up  the  Patriot  even  without  passing  a  bond  to  Barrett, 
if  he  has  any  scruples  as  to  swearing  to  proprietorship. 

Instituting  the  Patiiot  would,  I  think,  free  the  matter 
from  any  scruple.  I  will  take  Barrett  off  the  proprietor's 
hands,  whilst  I  canvass  eagerly,  anxiously  for  the  paper. 

I  would  also  prefer  a  jail  to  giving  up  my  charge 
against  Baron  Smith ;  that  is  the  most  useful  movement  I 
ever  made.  It  will  strike  a  salutary  terror  into  a  set  of  the 
greatest  scoundrels  that  ever  disgraced  humanity.  The 
Government  intend  to  oppose  Sir  Edward  Knatchbull's 
motion,6  so  we  shall  have  the  committee  after  all.  In- 
deed it  would  be  a  proof  of  great  weakness  if  they  did  not 
do  so. 

I  will  bring  the  matter  before  the  House  and  the  public. 
I  will  apply  for  leave  to  bring  in  a  short  Bill  for  the  purpose 
of  assimilating  the  Law  of  Ireland  to  that  of  England  in 
this  particular.  I  do  not  foresee  any  opposition  to  such  a 
Bill. 

6  It  was  on  the  motion  of  Sir  E.       21.     (See  the  Colchester  Papers,  vol. 
Knatchbull  that  the  vote  of  censure      iii.  pp.  134,  553.) 
on  Baron  Smith  was  rescinded,  Feb. 


410     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0'  CON NELL    CH.  xi. 


In  short,  this  is  another  spirit-stirring  incident,  taking 
care  that  Barrett  shall  not  suffer.  I  will,  I  hope,7  be  able 
to  make  it  useful. 

Always  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

If  Maurice  be  in  Dublin,  tell  him  I  implore  of  him  to 
come  over. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  22nd  Feb.  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — This  day's  post  will  tell  you  that 
it  is  unnecessary  for  us  to  take  any  more  trouble  about 
Baron  Smith.  Of  course  I  would,  as  I  ought,  respect  your 
delicacy  if  the  matter  had  been  otherwise.  This  defeat  is 
easily  borne,  especially  as  it  saves  me  from  an  extreme  deal 
of  trouble. 

But  it  is  an  admirable  topic  of  Eepeal  agitation,  if  our 
friends  of  the  Liberal  Press  would  for  a  moment  forget  their 
foolish  good-nature  towards  a  man  who  has  halloed  on  the 
Government  against  the  people  for  the  last  three  years, 
besides  the  inestimable  advantage  of  proving  to  our  mis- 
creant Judges  that  they  are  not  altogether  free  from  the 
possibility  of  punishment.  Now  that  Smith  is  safe,  I  hope 
our  press  will  use  the  topic  to  prove  the  disregard  of  the 
House  to  the  Irish  nation. 

I  could  not  reply  to  Peel  last  night,  but  I  will  on  another 


7  Baron  Smith,  the-  friend  and 
confidant  of  Edmund  Burke,  had 
consistently  supported  the  Catholic 
claims.  As  a  political  and  philoso- 
phical writer  he  was  equally  distin- 
guished :  his  style  of  oratory  was 
chaste  and  classical ;  but,  unhappily 
for  his  fame,  he  used  it  in  advocacy 
of  the  Union  in  1800.  His  addresses 
from  the  Bench  sought  to  inculcate 
constitutional  doctrine ;  but  amongst 
his  eccentricities  was  a  habit  of 
never  going  to  bed ;  he  slept  in  an 
arm-chair,  and  the  daily  business 
of  his  court  has  often  begun  with 
gaslight.  The  attack  made  upon 
him  in  Parliament,  as  in  the  case  of 


Judge  Keogh,  did  not  prolong  his  life. 
He  died  on  August  21,  1836. 

The  Dublin  Evening  Post,oi  July 
26, 1834,  contains  the  following  charge 
on  opening  the  Court  at  Kilkenny, 
and  Conway,  the  editor,  expresses 
satisfaction  that  'the  Baron  has  been 
cured  of  his  cacoethes  loquendi.' 

'  Gentlemen  of  the  Jury, — I  have 
to  congratulate  you  on  the  lightness 
of  your  calendar.  That  and  other 
circumstances  render  it  quite  un- 
necessary for  me  to  detain  you  any 
longer.'  The  son  of  this  judge, 
T.  B.  C.  Smith,  was  the  Attorney- 
General  who  prosecuted  O'Connell 
to  conviction  in  1844. 


1834  BABON  SMITH  411 

occasion.   The  rules  of  the  House  are,  on  this  point,  incon- 
venient. 

.  .  .  There  is  no  doubt  of  the  repeal  of  the  clauses  in 
the  Stamp  Act ;  not  the  least. 
Hurrah  for  the  Eepeal !  ! ! 

Ever  yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNBLL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  Monday,  Feb.  24,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Give  Nics  Maher8  the  £50  for 
Dungarvan  election.  It  is  said  that  the  Irish  government 
supplied  Barren 9  with  the  money  to  contest  that  town.  Is 
this  possible  ! !  ! 

If  we  could  trace  it  there  could  not  occur  a  more 
fortunate  blow. 

I  forgot  at  home  the  two  quarto  vols.  of  Barrington's 
History  of  the  Union,  and  his  abbreviation  of  the  same 
work  on  the  rise  and  fall  of  Ireland  in  one  vol.  The  fact  is, 
I  thought  they  were  left  out  for  packing,  but  they  have  not 
come. 

Go  to  my  house  and  search  my  study,  and  the  book 
rooms  in  the  back  building,  and  also  the  drawing  room. 
If  you  do  not  find  them  there,  in  the  back  drawing 
room  there  is  a  bookcase,  which  get  a  smith  to  open, 
and  search  it.  In  short,  search  until  you  find  them,  and 
then  carefully  pack  them  and  transmit  them  to  me  by 
coach.  There  are  some  loose  numbers  of  the  work  in  my 
study,  but  I  do  not  want  these.  Do  this  for  me  as  soon  as 
you  possibly  can.  Tell  Staunton  I  will  want  him  here  for  a 
few  days  before  the  great  debate  on  the  Eepeal  question. 

If  the  Government  allow  me  to-morrow  to  bring  in  my 
Dublin  Corporation  Bill  it  will  be  a  great  blow  to  the  adverse 
faction. — Believe  me  always, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

8  Nicholas  V.  Maher,  of  Turtulla,  little  O'Connell  suspected  that  his 
County    Tipperary,   a  staunch   ad-  old    colleague,   Purcell    O'Gorman, 
herent.  gave  £100  to  help  Barren  in  oppos- 

9  Pierce   George  Barron.     How  ing  Jacob  ! 


412     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  xi. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  26th  February,  34. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Prevent  any  commentary  in  the 
Register  on  any  inaccuracy  which  may  appear  on  the  readi- 
ness of  Barrett  to  take  upon  himself  the  liability  of  the 
prosecution.  His  letter  to  O'Dwyer  told  powerfully.  It  is, 
perhaps,  quite  unnecessary  for  me  to  say  anything  on  this 
subject,  but  let  that  matter  rest  as  it  is. 

There  never,  my  good  friend,  was  a  more  foolish  false- 
hood than  the  statement  that  Fergus  O'Connor  meant  to 
attack  me.  He  is  daily  attacking  all  my  enemies,  and 
there  is  not  one  of  the  Irish  members  more  heartily  cordial 
with  me  than  he  is.  Attack  me  ! ! !  I  thought  you  should 
have  better  known  the  poor  old  daggerman l  than  to  believe 
one  word  from  him. 

The  Ministry  promise  a  Corporate  Eeform  Bill,  but 
my  opinion  is  that  they  merely  intend  to  delude.  Nous 
verrons.  I  would  have  done  better  last  night  and  divided 
had  I  not  been  crossed  by  honest  Barren.2  Littleton,  believe 
me,  is  not  a  friend  to  Ireland.  It  was  he  that  originated 
the  suppression  of  the  Pilot. 

You  see  we  had  a  glorious   Eepeal  meeting  here  last 
Saturday.     Believe  me  that  the  Eepeal  will   soon  be  a 
popular  measure  amongst  all  the  Eadicals  of  England. 
Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  John  Primrose.3 

London  :  3rd  March,  1834. 

My  dear  John, — As  far  as  I  am  concerned,  spare  no  ex- 
pense that  can  possibly  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  the  people. 
You  had  better  at  once  get  Maurice  O'Connor  from  Tralee, 


1  Frederick     William     Conway, 
editor  of  the  Dublin  Evening  Post. 

2  Henry  Winston  Barron,  M.P. 
for    Waterford.      This     gentleman 
afterwards  received  a  baronetcy.  His 
vote    proved    of    importance   on   a 


rather  close  division.  He  felt  that 
he  had  '  a  lease  for  life  '  of  the  seat ; 
but  one  day,  having  declined  to  take 
the  Bepeal  pledge,  O'Connell  bya  nod 
deposed  him. 

3  O'Connell's  land  agent. 


1834  CORPORATE  REFORM  PROMISED  413 

so  as  to  have  one  medical  man  in  Cahirciveen,  and 
another  to  go  to  the  country  villages  or  single  houses, 
•wherever  the  disorder 4  appears.  If  it  breaks  out  at  all  about 
Darrynane,  Dr.  O'Connor  should  go  there  at  once  to  give 
the  people  every  possible  assistance.  I  will  pay  him  readily 
2  guineas  a  day  while  he  is  in  the  country.  Do  not  delay, 
my  dear  John.  Everybody  should  live  as  full  as  possible, 
eating  meat  twice  a  day.  Get  meat  for  the  poor  as  much 
as  possible.  I  wish  my  poor  people  about  Darrynane 
should  begin  a  meat  diet  before  the  disorder  arrives 
amongst  them.  Two,  three,  four  beeves  I  would  think 
nothing  of.  Coarse  blankets  also  may  be  very  useful  if  got 
for  them  promptly.  Could  you  not  get  coals  from  Dingle  ? 
If  not,  get  them  from  Cork.  In  short,  if  I  could  contribute 
to  save  one  life -I  would  deem  it  a  great  blessing  at  the 
expense  of  a  year's  income.  I  spoke  to  Mr.  Eoche ; 5 
he  will  write  this  day  to  Mr.  Sullivan  of  Cove  to  give 
Father  O'Connell  £20  for  that  parish,  particularly  for 
Hartopp's  tenants.  But  a  physician  is  most  wanting. 
Give  me  the  fullest  details  ;  but  above  and  before  all  things, 
be  prodigal  of  relief  out  of  my  means — beef,  bread,  mut- 
ton, medicines,  physician,  everything  you  can  think  of. 
Write  =off  to  Father  O'Connell  to  take  every  previous  pre- 
caution— a  mass  every  possible  day  and  getting  the  people 
to  go  to  confession  and  communion,  rosaries  and  other 
public  prayers  to  avert  the  Divine  Wrath. 

Yours  most  affectionately, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  6th  March,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Some  days  have  elapsed  since  I 
wrote  to  you  or  to  Barrett,  for  a  reason  you  could  not  con- 
jecture— merely  a  change  in  my  hour  of  dining.  I  now 

4  The  first  visitation  of  Asiatic  Leicestershire,   who    had  extensive 
cholera  was  now  pursuing  its  ravages  property  in    the    same    parish    as 
in  Ireland.  Darrynane  Abbey.     Mr.  O'Sullivan 

5  The  late  Sir  David  Eoche,  agent  was  the  sub-agent, 
to   Mr.   Hartopp,   of    Little  Dalby, 


414     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  xi. 

dine  at  the  hour  I  used  to  write,  but  I  will  arrange  to  do 
loth  in  future. 

There  is  nothing  like  news  which  is  not  contained  in  the 
public  prints.  In  fact,  it  is  surprising  with  what  apathy 
men  look  at  the  approaching  events.  It  does  seem  certain 
that  France  is  on  the  eve  of  a  revolution,  and  yet  it  excites 
neither  apprehension  nor  even  notice.  This  country,  too, 
is  in  a  most  unsatisfactory  state — great  discontent,  great 
folly,  great  carelessness. 

I  will  send  you  a  cheque  for  £100  to  be  applied  to 
Barrett's  expenses,  so  that  after  he  has  got  the  100  guineas 
he  may  receive  in  future  £W  per  week,  exclusive  of  paying 
for  his  rooms.  I  will  continue  that  sum  until  his  libera- 
tion, and  of  course  pay  his  fine. 

I  smile  at  your  account  of  the  triumph  of  my  enemies 
in  recent  events.  The  fact  is  that  my  enemies  are  always 
claiming  victories,  and  yet  you  see  I  get  on,  and  am  no 
worse  in  the  end.  There  never  was  a  man  so  often  put 
down  as  I  have  been,  nor  any  who  was  so  soon  found  on 
his  legs  again,  blessed  be  the  will  of  God  ! 

The  Government  do  not  know  what  to  do  with  or  about 
Ireland. 

I  was  truly  glad  to  hear  your  account  of  the  prospect  of 
prosperity.  I  hope  it  will  not  be  a  mere  vision. 

Yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Allusion  will  be  found  in  O'Connell's  letters  of  this  time 
to  John  O'Neill.  He  was  a  Protestant  merchant  of  Dublin 
equally  distinguished  for  wealth  and  patriotism,  and  people 
regarded  him  with  interest  as  a  survivor  of  the  Volunteer 
army  of  1782.  He  often  took  the  chair  at  O'Connell's 
meetings,  remarking  that  in  1782  he  was  too  young  to  be  of 
much  use  to  Ireland,  and  was  then,  he  feared,  too  old. 


1834  FIBE  IN  DUBLIN  415 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  March  7th,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — There  is  a  petition  come  in 
against  Jacob.6  What  can  be  done  to  lighten  the  expense? 
I  must  give  £50  more. 

See  Mr.  O'Neill  and  tell  him  that  there  are  two  or  three 
of  his  fellow  sufferers  by  the  Custom  House  fire  pressing 
me  to  bring  that  matter  before  the  House.  He,  however, 
has  been  and  is  so  much  more  interested,  that  I  cannot  do 
anything  without  his  assent.  It  is  a  question  of  individual 
property,  and  I  must  regulate  my  motions  by  the  will  of 
the  persons  principally  concerned.  It  was,  perhaps,  discreet 
in  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  when  discussing  this  subject 
in  their  late  report,  to  forget  nJy  exertions,  and  if  so,  nobody 
approves  of  such  discretion  more  than  I  do.  Why  should 
I  think  of  it  for  one  moment  ?  I  am,  at  all  events,  as  ready 
and  as  anxious  to  be  of  use  to  them,  if  I  can,  as  if  they  had 
crowned  me  with  laurels.7  .  .  . 

If  the  Ministry  had  any  notion  of  continuing  Coercion 
laws  for  Ireland  they  will  not  have  time.  We  are  giving 
them  plenty  to  do,  and  some  to  spare.  If  anyone  speaks 
to  you  of  the  local  taxation  of  Dublin,  give  my  explanation 
of  inactivity — namely,  that  the  Government  have  deter- 
mined to  leave  the  management  of  that  concern  to  the 
reformed  Corporation.  This  gives  hope  of  a  more  speedy 
corporate  reform  than  many  imagine. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

An  illiberal  practice  which  had  long  prevailed  at  last 
reached  a  crisis  in  the  rude  interruption  of  Archdeacon, 
afterwards  Bishop,  Blake,  when  uttering  a  prayer  at  the 
grave  of  Mr.  Darcy  in  the  Protestant  churchyard  of  St. 

8  The  attempt  to  unseat  Ebenezer  property  was  destroyed.  The  reports 

Jacob  for  Dungarvan.  issued  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 

7  A  great  fire  broke  out  in  the  at  this  period  are  not  accessible  for 

Custom  House  stores  on  August  9,  reference,  even  in  the  library  of  that 

1833,  by  which  a  large  amount  of  institute. 


416     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  xi. 


Kevin.  Eoman  Catholic  cemeteries  did  not  exist ;  the  dead 
of  the  proscribed  faith  had  long  been  admitted  to  Protestant 
churchyards  and  brought  much  profit  to  the  parson ;  but 
the  burial  service  was  not  sanctioned,  and  was  usually  read 
over  the  remains  before  enclosing  them  in  the  hearse.8 

'  Yielding  to  the  request  of  a  near  and  venerable  relative 
of  the  deceased,'  writes  Dr.  Blake,  '  I  took  off  my  hat  to  as- 
suage, by  a  short  condoling  prayer,  the  sorrows  of  the  living 
— to  implore  perpetual  rest  and  peace  for  the  departed  soul ; 
and  at  this  moment,  and  without  any  other  provocation, 
the  order  of  Dr.  Magee 9  was  wrung  in  my  ear,  that  I  must 
not  offer  any  prayer  over  that  grave  !  Gracious  heavens  ! 
is  there  a  country  in  the  universe  so  degraded  as  Ireland  ? ' 
This  letter  got  into  the  newspapers  and  created  a  deep  im- 
pression. It  had  long  been  believed  that  an  Act  of  Parlia- 
ment stood  in  the  way  of  any  reform  in  this  direction,  but 
O'Connell  said  that  he  would* drive  a  coach  and  six  through 
it ;  and  in  1828,  at  the  Catholic  Association,  he  unfolded 
his  plan  for  opening  a  burial-place  for  his  co-religionists. 
This  after  many  years  was  sanctioned  and  ratified  by  a 
special  Act  of  Parliament. 

O'Connell,  privately  addressing  Father  L 'Estrange,1 
writes : — 

My  dearest  Friend, — It  is  perfectly  legal  for  any  sect  of 
Christians  to  have  separate  burial  grounds. 

The  Catholics  have  a  kind  of  pre-eminent  right  to  this 
privilege.  At  Common  Law,  when  the  Catholic  religion 
was  part  and  parcel  of  the  Constitution,  they  had  un- 
doubtedly this  right.  It  has  not  been  taken  away  by  any 
Statute  whatsoever. 

There  is  a  vulgar  error  which  attributes  this  right  to 
merely  unenclosed  churchyards.  They  are  equally  legal, 
whether  enclosed  or  not. 

It  is  advisable  to  have  a  Chapel  adjacent  to  each  burial 


8  St.  James's  Churchyard,  Dub- 
lin, like  old  St.  Pancras,  London,  was 
the  chief  place  of  burial  for  Koman 
Catholics.  The  Pope  annually  said 
mass  on  St.  James's  Day  in  Home 
for  the  Catholic  '  faithful '  interred 
in  the  Protestant  graveyard  of  St. 


James. 

9  Dr.  Magee,  author  of  a  great 
book  on  the  Atonement,  ruled  the 
see  of  Dublin. 

1  A  Carmelite  friar,  who  was 
O'Connell's  confessor. 


I 


1834  THE  -BUEIAL   COMMITTEE  417 

ground,  but  it  is  not  necessary.  The  legal  right  is  not 
affected  thereby;  but  the  vicinage  of  a  Church  affords  a 
more  legitimate  opportunity  of  celebrating  the  burial  service 
with  suitable  solemnity  and  religion.  Thus  you  will  find 
no  legal  obstacle  whatever  to  the  plan  of  Catholic  burial 
grounds. 

O'Connell  worked  hard  to  attain  this  end,  but  failed  to 
obtain  the  thanks  that  he  deserved. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

London :  March  15,  1834. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  wrote  to  you  yesterday  expressing 
my  just  indignation  '  at  the  vile  manner  in  which  the 
Burial  Committee'  treated  me.  They  actually  sent  me 
without  preface  a  vote  of  condemnation  containing  the 
most  false  charge  imaginable.  I  was  obliged  to  hurry  so 
much  with  the  letter  I  sent  you  yesterday,2  having  actually 
to  run  after  the  bag  of  letters,  that  I  probably  was  not 
sufficiently  distinct.  I  wish  that  you  and  my  other  real 
friends — alas,  how  few ! — should  distinctly  understand  the 
falsehood  of  the  charges  made  against  me. 

1st.  It  is  the  duty  of  every  member  to  do  the  private 
Bill  business  of  every  constituent,  whether  he  voted  for  him 
or  not. 

2nd.  The  only  way  of  getting  rid  of  private  Bills  is  in 
the  Committee.  It  is  very,  very  seldom  the  House  allows  a 
debate  on  a  second  reading.  We  had  but  one  this  Session. 
The  House  never  rejects  a  private  Bill  unless  its  principle  be 
grossly  wrong. 

3rd.  Apply  these  topics  to  the  Dublin  Cemetery  Bill, 
and  you  will  find  that  it  was  impossible  to  defeat  it  at  its 
first  or  second  reading,  because  its  principle  was  perfectly 
right. 

4th.  The  principle  of  the  Bill  was  that  this  was  a  joint 
stock  partnership,  which  without  parliamentary  aid  could 
not  sue  or  be  sued.  Unless  they  got  a  Bill  to  sue  or  be  sued 

2  That  letter  being  a  repetition,  it  is  needless  to  give  it. 
VOL.  I.  BE 


418     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  xi. 

in  the  name  of  their  secretary,  it  would  not  be  practical  for 
them  to  recover  money  or  property  belonging  to  them.  Nor 
would  it  be  possible  for  any  person  to  whom  they  may  owe 
money  to  recover  it  from  them ;  neither  could  they  sue  a 
defaulting  member ;  that  is,  the  practical  difficulties  are  so 
great  as  to  amount  in  reality  to  an  impossibility. 

Thus,  therefore,  for  the  protection  of  the  public  it  was 
my  duty  to  get  them  a  Bill,  and  I  repeat  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  throw  out  their  Bill  at  the  first  or  second 
reading. 

5th.  All  the  objections  to  this  Bill  are  objections  to  be 
made  in  the  Committee,  when,  of  course,  it  was  my  intention 
to  make  them. 

6th.  But  why  should  I  take  charge  of  a  Bill  nine-tenths 
of  which  I  certainly  disapprove  of  ?  My  answer  is,  because 
that  is  the  only  way  in  which  I  could  get  rid  of  the  objec- 
tionable parts  without  failure. 

If  any  other  person  but  me  were  chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee, Mahony  or  his  friends  might  contrive  to  trick  me. 
They  might  sit  precisely  at  times  when  I  could  not  possibly 
attend.  I  therefore  took  charge  of  the  Bill  that  I  may 
have  it  in  my  power. 

7th.  This  is  precisely  what  I  did  last  year  with  the 
Kingstown  Eailway,  which  I  got  the  Committee  to  throw 
out.  This  Bill  I  would  also  throw  out  in  the  Committee 
but  for  the  necessity  of  giving  the  powers  to  sue  and  be 
sued  which  I  have  mentioned. 

Shew  this  letter  to  all  real  friends,  not  as  a  vindication, 
because  I  have  nothing  to  vindicate,  but  to  shew  that  Mr. 
John  Eedmond  and  his  colleagues  have  vilely  and  untruly 
calumniated  me. 

Do  not  shew  it  to  Mr.  Eedmond  or  any  of  his  party.  I 
did  not  expect  such  usage  at  his  hands. 

This  is  the  grossest  instance  of  condemnation  with- 
out trial  which  ever  occurred.  I  have  done  the  best  way 
for  our  Burial  Ground  Committee.  I  have  secured  that 
Mahony,  active  and  managing  as  he  is,  shall  not  do  them 
any  harm.  I  have  done  the  best  thing  practicable,  and  for 


1834  DEEPLY  WOUNDED  419 

this  my  friends — may  I  be  protected  from  my  friends ! — vote 
me  guilty  at  once. 

This,  you  perceive,  has  annoyed  me  more  than  it  ought. 
It  is  to  find  that  men  who  ought  to  know  me  preferred  to 
act  from  their  own  ignorance  of  forms  and  proceedings 
instead  of  confiding  in  my  experience  until  they  should 
hear  from  their  deputy,  Mr.  O'Kelly.3 

It  is  long  since  I  had  any  temptation  to but  no,  no; 

and  I  will  take  as  much  care  to  cut  this  Bill  down  as  if  I 
had  been  treated  as  I  ought  to  be.  Of  course,  when  I  took 
charge  of  the  Bill,  I  told  Mahony  how  much  I  intended  to  do 
for  him.  I  practised  no  deception  on  him.  It  is,  however, 
probable  that  his  company  will  never  act  under. the  Bill 
which  they  are  entitled  to.  I  now  dismiss  this  subject  for 
ever.  It  has  taught  me  to  know  mankind,  alas !  better 
than  I  did. 

Yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell  was  a  man  of  strong  impulse,  and,  as  his 
daughter  once  remarked  to  us, '  sometimes  too  fond  of  calling 
things  by  their  right  names.'  But  he  was  a  bad  hater,  and 
when  the  thunder  of  his  wrath  had  subsided  he  thought 
no  more  of  it.  It  is  pleasant  to  find  John  Eedmond  and  he 
afterwards  working  shoulder  to  shoulder  for  Eepeal.4 

As  regards  the  Cemeteries  Committee,  O'Connell  himself 
eventually  became  a  member  of  that  Board.  When  called 
to  his  great  account  they  promptly  assembled,  and  by  their 
energy  largely  helped  to  promote  the  grand  national  monu- 
ment to  his  memory  which  now  rears  its  head  in  Glasnevin. 
One  day,  not  long  previous  to  O'Connell's  death,  a  tattered 
stroller  asked  him  for  relief,  pleading  a  personal  acquaint- 
ance in  aid  of  the  claim. 

'  I  never  saw  you  before,  my  good  man,'  said  O'Connell. 

'  That's  not  what  your  honor's  son  would  say  to  me,' 
returned  the  applicant,  '  for  he  got  me  a  good  place  at 
Glasnevin  Cemetery,  only  I  hadn't  the  luck  to  keep  it.' 

3  Mathias  J.  O'Kelly,  afterwards  may  be  found  in  O'Keeffe's  Life  of 
Secretary  to  the  Dublin  Cemeteries  O'Connell, vol. ii. p. 627, where  'John 
Committee.  Eedmond,  a  patriotic  citizen,'  seconds 

4  Traces  of  cordial  co-operation  a  motion  made  by  O'Connell. 

B  E   2 


420     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CON  NELL    CH.  xi. 

'  Then,  indeed,  you  were  strangely  unlucky,'  rejoined 
O'Connell, '  for  those  who  have  places  in  cemeteries  generally 
keep  them.' 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

17th  March,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  am  glad  you  are  better ;  yet 
your  headaches  must  give  uneasiness  to  your  friends.  I  do 
not  think  you  earn  them  by  any  excess.  Do  not  do  any- 
thing for  me  which  can  in  any  way  affect  your  health.  I 
may  say  you  are  not  aware  how  sincerely  gratitude  and 
esteem  have  attached  me  to  you  as  one  of  my  best  of 
friends. 

Your  account  of  the  Brewery  is  very  cheering ;  I  trust 
it  will  do  all  that  I  can  wish  for  my  son  and  for  others.  I 
will  write  myself,  the  first  leisure  moment,  to  your  brewer, 
Mr.  D'Arcy.  I  see  that,  if  he  can  continue  to  give  his 
attention  and  apply  his  skill,  you  must  succeed.  But  if  you 
do  I  certainly  will  make  it  a  point  with  my  son  that  Mr. 
D'Arcy  should  participate  in  that  success.  This  was  the 
even  plan  by  which  Beamish  and  Crawford  made  their 
fortune.  Everybody  who  participated  in  advancing  their 
interests  shared  in  the  emoluments  arising  from  the  success 
of  his  exertions,  and  certainly  Mr.  D'Arcy  seems  by  your 
account  to  be  placing  himself  precisely  in  that  situation  in 
which,  I  trust,  the  result  will  be  that  wisdom  will  dictate 
that  which  generosity  ought  to  be  ready  to  suggest. 

It  is,  however,  perhaps  too  soon  to  anticipate  sufficient 
success  to  make  a  percentage  upon  increased  profits  of  any 
value  to  him.  But  recollect  that  you  should  keep  this  in 
your  recollection,  and  although  the  amount  of  such  per- 
centage may  at  first  be  small,  yet  it  would  open  to  the 
brewer  a  principle  of  action  towards  him  which  would  give 
him  the  certainty  that  he  would  be  benefitting  himself  as 
well  as  others  by  his  attention  to  the  economy  and  goodness 
of  his  brewing. 

It  was  a  percentage  on  profits,  not  on  sales,  which 
Beamish  and  Crawford  gave.  The  distinction  is  obvious. 


1834 


8TAETS  A  BREWERY 


421 


It  makes  the  brewer  combine  the  utmost  economy  in  point 
of  expenditure  with  the  utmost  possible  value  of  the  liquor 
produced. 

If  I  hear  again  so  pleasing  an  account,  I  will  write  to 
Eoger  Hayes  upon  this  point.  It  is  one  fit  to  be  considered. 
But,  perhaps,  present  appearances  are  only  delusive.5  Let 
me  hear  of  your  health. 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Archbishop  MacHale. 

London :  22nd  March,  1834. 

My  ever-respected  Lord, — I  had  the  honour  of  receiving 
a  letter  from  you  some  time  ago  promising  a  Eepeal  peti- 
tion, and  I  wish  to  say  the  petition  has  not  come  to  hands. 
I  regret  to  be  obliged  to  add  that  the  number  of  Eepeal 
petitions  does  not  at  all  correspond  with  my  hopes  and 
expectations. 

I  am  the  more  sorry  for  this,  because  I  have  the  most 
intimate  conviction  that  nothing  of  value  can  possibly  be 
done  for  Ireland  until  we  have  a  domestic  Parliament. 
The  faction,  which  in  all  its  ramifications  bears  so  severely 
on  our  people  and  our  country,  can  never  be  rendered 
innoxious  whilst  they  can  cling,  even  in  idea,  to  support 
from  the  Government  of  this  country. 

It  is  a  subject  of  serious  but  melancholy  speculation  to 
reflect  upon  the  innate  spirit  of  hatred  of  everything  Irish 
which  seems  to  be  the  animating  principle  of  their  existence. 
You  certainly  have  two  distinct  specimens  of  the  worthless- 


5  There  was  a  brewery  at  this 
time  in  Dublin  known  as  O'Connell's 
Brewery.  O'Connell  invested  £'2,000 
in  it  and  several  friends  joined  the 
proprietary.  It  boldly  faced  Guin- 
ness's  Brewery  in  James's  Street,  and 
people  assumed  that  O'Connell's 
name  would  ensure  its  success.  P. 
V.  FitzPatrick  held  office  in  it,  and 
most  of  the  letters  before  us  are 
addressed  to  '  O'Connell's  Brewery.' 
But  FitzPatrick  knew  more  of  poetry 


than  of  porter.  The  brewery  was 
crippled  for  want  of  capital,  and 
proved  not  successful,  though  under 
another  name  and  proprietary  it  has 
since  done  well.  Public  attention 
has  latterly  been  given  so  excitedly 
to  brewing  as  a  commercial  enter- 
prise, it  is  interesting  to  find  that, 
half  a  century  ago,  O'Connell  saw 
the  shadow  which  coming  events 
cast  before,  and  apprenticed  one  of 
his  sons  to  a  London  brewer. 


422     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  xi. 

ness  of  that  existence  in  your  County  members.  Two  such 
'  lubbers,'  as  the  seamen  would  call  them,  two  such  '  bos- 
toons,'  as  we  in  Munster  would  denominate  them,  never  yet 
figured  on  any  stage,  public  or  private. 

One  of  the  best  of  your  Lordship's  good  works  will  be 
assisting  to  muster  such  a  combination  of  electoral  force  in 
your  County  as  will  ensure  the  rejection  of  both  at  the  next 
practical  opportunity.  I  should  be  tempted  to  despair  of 
Ireland  if  I  could  doubt  of  your  success. 

I  read  with  deep  and  painful  interest  your  published 
letters  to  Lord  Grey.  What  a  scene  of  tyranny  and  heart- 
less oppression  on  the  one  hand  ! — what  a  frightful  view  of 
wretchedness  and  misery  on  the  other ! 

A  man  is  neither  a  human  being  nor  a  Christian  who 
does  not  devote  all  his  energies  to  find  a  remedy  for  such 
grievances.  But  that  remedy  is  not  to  be  found  in  a  British 
Parliament. 

You  will  see  by  the  papers  that  the  Protestant  Dissen- 
ters in  this  country  are  storming  that  citadel  of  intolerance 
and  pride,  the  Established  Church.  The  effect  of  such  an 
attack  can  operate  only  for  good  in  Ireland.  This  was  the 
stronghold  of  the  Irish  Establishment.  As  long  as  they 
had  England  at  their  back,  they  could  laugh  to  scorn  all 
attempts  in  Ireland  to  curb  them;  but  I  believe,  firmly 
believe,  their  days  are  numbered,  and  hope  that  we  shall 
see,  but  certainly  not  weep. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

In  1834  O'Connell  was  driven  by  journalistic  pressure, 
and  the  undue  ardour  of  partisans,  to  make  a  motion 
in  Parliament  on  Kepeal  of  the  Union.  Peel  strongly 
opposed  the  motion,  and  quoted  the  words  of  Canning, 
'  Kepeal  the  Union  ! — re-enact  the  Heptarchy  ! '  But  it 
was  reserved  for  Spring  Eice — a  quondam  democrat,  now, 
however,  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer — to  overwhelm 
O'Connell  with  a  vast  heap  of  ugly  figures.  '  Talk  not  to 
me  of  facts,'  says  Sidney  Smith,  '  there's  nothing  so  fal- 
lacious as  facts,  unless— figures.'  O'Connell  knew  the  sort 


1834    'RISE  AND  FALL   OF  THE  IEISH  NATION'      423 

of  man  with  whom  he  had  to  deal.  Rice  had  facts  cut 
and  dry  for  all  the  stereotyped  points  of  popular  oratory. 
Figures  were  not  O'Connell's  forte,  and  his  heart  sank  as 
the  struggle  drew  near.  In  previous  letters  he  speaks  of 
Staunton's  financial  hits  as  '  thumpers/  and  it  occurred  to 
him  that  if  he  had  Staunton  beside  him  now  he  could  beat 
Eice,  like  Bobadil,  with  his  own  weapons.  In  the  midst  of 
a  despondency  bordering  on  despair,  and  of  which  it  is 
painful  to  trace  the  record,  he  appeals  to  the  man  who,  a 
year  before,  he  described  as  his  enemy  in  every  critical 
moment  of  his  political  life,6  and  now  conjures  him  to  come 
to  his  aid.7  Previously,  however,  he  unbosomed  some 
thoughts  to  FitzPatrick. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, —  ...  I  have  been  under  the 
necessity  to  put  my  Repeal  motion  off  to  the  later  of  my 
two  days,  the  22nd,  as  this  vacation  is  not  to  terminate 
until  the  14th,  and  it  would  be  too  soon  to  have  it  come  on 
the  day  after  the  recess.  I  should  be  jockeyed  if  I  were  to 
adhere  to  that  day ;  the  22nd  of  April  is  therefore  to  be  '  the 
great  day,'  big  with  the  fate  of  Cato  and  Rome. 

There  are  no  news.     The  Administration  is  toppling  on, 
all  at  sixes  and  sevens  amongst   themselves,  without  the 
least  power  in  the  Lords,  and  detested  by  the  people.    They 
cannot  go  on  in  their  present  hopeless  state. 
> 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  feel  lonely  and  somewhat  sur- 
prised that  I  do  not  hear  of  or  from  you.  I  hope  ill-health 
is  not  the  cause. 

Next  Tuesday  week  is  the  day  for  the  grand  discussion, 

I  want  this  information. 

1st.  The  History  of  the  Rise  and  Downfall  of  the  Irish 
Nation,  one  vol.,  by  Sir  Jonah  Barrington.  I  lost  mine ; 
it  was  borrowed. 

2d.  Plowden's  History^   the   first  work  and  also  the 

6  See  letter  of  June  20,  1833.  7  Letter  of  April  9,  1834. 


424     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   0' CONN  ELL    CH.  xi. 

second.     You  will,  I  think,  find  the  first  in  the  small  back 
study  in  my  house  at  the  Square. 

Thirdly.  I  do  not  find  the  account  of  the  dispersion  of 
County  meetings  called  by  Sheriffs  to  petition  against  the 
Union.  I  recollect  one  dispersed  at  Maryboro'.  I  want  the 
exact  dates,  and  a  book  to  quote  them  from.  Another  was 
dispersed  at  Clonmel. 

Fourthly.  I  want  the  reports  of  the  Irish  Lords  and 
Commons  in  1797  and  1798.  The  first  especially,  to  shew 
that  the  Government  were  in  possession  of  the  meetings  of 
the  Colonels  of  the  United  Irishmen  for  more  than  a  year 
before  the  Eebellion  exploded. 

These  must  be  sent  to  me  by  the  first  coach.  No  delay 
can  I  afford. 

I  wrote  to  Staunton  to  come  to  me.  Think  you  can  he 
come?  I  wrote  also  for  MacCabe.  If  he  comes  I  will 
publish  my  speech  as  a  pamphlet,  with  a  preface,  address, 
appendix,  and  observations  on  any  case  in  reply.  He  is  the 
man  for  MY  money. 

But,  after  all,  I  can  make  but  little,  miserably  little,  of 
my  subject.  Would  to  God  it  were  in  abler  hands  ! 

The  moment  we  are  defeated  I  will  reorganise  the  Repeal 
agitation  on  a  new  plan. 

No  news.  Great  commercial  distress,  or  at  least  manu- 
facturing; of  course  agricultural.  The  Trades  Union 
either  going  to  sleep  or  to  rebel ;  foolish  in  either  case,  and 
wicked  too. 

Ever  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  Ap.  7,  1834. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  spent  last  week  travelling.  I  went 
to  Canterbury,  and  thence  by  the  coast  to  Brighton.  A 
splendid  coast  occasionally,  through  a  country  daily  gaining 
on  the  sea ;  but,  except  near  Hastings  and  Brighton,  which 
are  sheiv  towns,  a  country  manifestly  fading,  and,  as  they 
say,  worsening.  The  towns  on  the  other  parts  of  the  coast 


1834  CANTEBBUBY  CATHEDRAL  425 

are  decaying,  the  farm  houses  shewing  a  long  interval  since 
the  last  repair,  and  the  picture  exhibiting  dark  colours  in  a 
great  extent  of  land. 

At  Canterbury  the  Cathedral  excited  all  my  attention. 
They  are  restoring  its  antient  architectural  beauty,  but 
thereby  shewing  more  distinctly  the  nakedness  of  Protes- 
tant worship.  But  it  is  a  splendid  building.  I  kissed  the 
stone  stained  with  the  blood  of  the  holy  Martyr  of  religion 
and  liberty,  the  illustrious  Saint  Thomas  a  Becket,  one  of 
the  most  valuable  of  the  patriots  of  England.8  What  a  gor- 
geous temple  it  must  have  been  when  the  principal  altar  glis- 
tened with  gold  and  jewels  in  the  light  of  500  wax  candles  ! 

But  I  should  let  my  prose  run  mad  if  I  was  to  indulge 
my  heart  and  head  with  the  vision  of  glory  of  seeing  that 
church  again  devoted  to  its  original  purposes  and  heard  the 
voice  of  the  choir  re-echoed  through  its  majestic  aisles  and 
transepts. 

I  am  now  preparing  for  my  display  on  the  22d.  My 
materials  have  overcome  me,  and  I  shall  disappoint  my 
friends  and  Ireland  by  a  miserable  display. 

Could  you  get  from  the  Distillery  or  Michael  Maley  a 
printed  statement  respecting  the  periods  at  which  the  Irish 
Distillers  were,  since  the  Union,  prohibited  from  working  ? 
I  want,  in  particular,  the  statement  respecting  the  stoppages 
in  1811.  I  want  all  the  information  which  was  printed  on 
the  subject  of  the  Irish  Distilleries; 9 1  mean  the  'wrongs'  of 
the  Irish  Distillers. 

8  O'Connell,   writing  to  another  looked  out  into  the  grounds,  he  said, 

friend,  says : —  "  He's  not  there,  sir  ;  you  may  kiss 

'  I  did  not  know  the  exact  spot  it  again  for  nothing.  When  a  real 
where  the  saint  fell  martyred,  but  gentleman  comes,  I  let  him  do  as 
the  verger  showed  it  to  me.  I  knelt  he  likes,  for  I  am  very  liberal."  I 
down  and  kissed  the  stone  which  think  (added  O'Connell)  that  he 
had  received  his  life-blood.  The  wanted  another  half-a-crown,  but, 
verger,  in  horror,  told  me  that  he  though  I  never  was  in  office,  I  re- 
would  be  dismissed  if  the  Dean  saw  mained  on  that  occasion  under  the 
that  he  allowed  any  "Popish  work  "  crown." 

there.      I,   to   console    him,   asked  9  In  1836  ninety  distilleries  were 

him  his  fee,  and  he  told  me  it  was  at  work  in  Ireland,  in  1868  twenty  - 

a  shilling.    I  gave  him  half-a-crown,  two  only.     Since  the  latter  date  the 

saying  that  the  additional  one  and  consumption  of  alcohol  has  unhappily 

sixpence  was  for    his   fright.      He  increased, 
thanked  me,  and,  having  carefully 


426     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xi. 

I  wish  you  would  see  Mr.  John  McMullen  and  get  from 
him  printed  papers  and  any  facts  he  may  favor  me  with 
respecting  the  linen  trade,  and  in  particular  the  manner  in 
which  the  bounty  on  imported  linen  yarn  operated  to  shift 
the  trade  from  Ireland  to  Scotland. 

You  have  no  notion  how  my  zeal  for  the  Eepeal  has 
been  augmented  by  my  preparations.  I  repeat,  however, 
my  strong  sense  of  my  own  incapacity  to  do  them  justice. 

Previous  letters  to  Barrett  find  O'Connell  revelling  in 
the  boast  that  he  '  scattered  the  Philistines  '  and  '  literally 
brought  down  the  House.'  He  did  not  overrate  his  own 
power.  '  You  see  the  greatness  of  his  genius  in  every  sen- 
tence he  utters,'  writes  James  Grant  at  this  time.  '  Peel 
has  more  tact  and  dexterity  in  debate,  but  in  genius,  none 
approach  O'Connell.  It  ever  and  anon  burst  forth  with 
a  brilliancy  and  effect  which  are  quite  overwhelming. 
You  have  not  well  recovered  from  the  overpowering  sur- 
prise and  admiration  caused  by  one  of  his  brilliant  effu- 
sions, when  another  flash  is  upon  you  and  produces  the  same 
effect.' 

The  reaction  that  succeeded  this  prolonged  flash  of 
triumph  is  traceable  in  the  letters  to  FitzPatrick  and 
Staunton  with  reference  to  the  forthcoming  Eepeal  speech. 

To  Michael  Staunton. 

London :  9th  April,  1834. 

My  dear  Staunton, — I  never  felt  half  so  nervous  about 
anything  as  I  do  about  my  Eepeal  effort.  It  will  be  my 
worst.  I  sink  beneath  the  load.  My  materials  are  con- 
fused, and  totally  without  arrangement.  I  wish  you  could 
come  here  and  bring  MacCabe.  I  would  readily  be  at  the 
entire  expense ;  but  you  should  come  without  delay.  In 
fact  it  is  at  the  last  moment  I  venture  to  write  to  you  on 
this  subject.  I  say  venture,  because  I  am  convinced  there 
will  be  nothing  in  my  speech  deserving  recollection,  or  any 
extraordinary  exertion,  by  my  friends.  It  is  quite  true  that 
I  have  often  desponded  before  a  public  exertion,  and  after- 
wards succeeded,  but  this  cannot  now  be  the  case.  I  feel 


1834 


PEEP  ABES  FOE   THE   COMBAT 


427 


for  the  first  time  overpowered.  Well,  can  you  come  to  me  ? 
Can  you  bring  MacCabe  ?  '  If  I  had  in  the  Galleries  here 
such  a  reporter  as  he  is  of  my  speeches,  sinking  the  weak 
points  and  mending  the  best,  I  would  stand  high  among 
orators.  But  it  is  in  vain  to  dwell  on  minor  points.  Politics 
are  at  present  most  critical ;  the  approach  to  a  crisis  is  at 
least  apparent.  All  the  predisposing  symptoms,  as  the  Doc- 
tors say,  appear ;  and  yet  I  should  be  astonished  unless 
they  all  evaporate  in  idle  words  and  foolish  menaces.  The 
Trades  Unions  are  in  themselves,  it  is  true,  formidable,  but 
it  is  only  their  numbers  which  render  them  so,  and  then 
they  are  neutralized  by  the  ignorance,  perhaps  dishonesty, 
certainly  incapacity,  of  many  of  their  leaders.  I  do  think 
the  present  menacing  appearances  will  blow  over,  and  with- 
out considerable  popular  apathy,  and  much  addition  to 
ministerial  power  are  likely  to  be  the  only  permanent  con- 
sequences of  the  present  discontent.  At  all  events,  it  is 
purely  an  English  quarrel,  and  the  Irish  deserve  every 
species  of  misfortune  if  they  are  so  foolish  as  to  interpose. 
There  is,  indeed,  only  one  thing  certain,  that  nothing  but 
the  Eepeal  can  be  of  any  utility  to  Ireland.2 

Ever  yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL. 


1  William     Bernard    MacCabe, 
author  of     a   Catholic    History    of 
England  and  other    works.      The 
Illustrated  London  News,  in  a  me- 
moir of    Cardinal    MacCabe,   erro- 
neously  states  that  his   Eminence 
was  a  son  of  this   gentleman.     In 
1835  MacCabe  removed  to  London 
and    became    a    Parliamentary   re- 
porter.    He  is  still  alive,  aged  88. 

2  Having  been  in  correspondence 
with  Lord  Monteagle   a  few  years 
before  his  death  in  reference  to  some 
letters  to  Dr.  Doyle  which  he  had 
promised  to  send  for  insertion  in  the 
bishop's  Life,  I  allowed  him  to  see 
C'Connell's  appeal  to  Staunton.  The 
old  statesman's  reply  is  highly  in- 
teresting, but  as  O'Connell  and  Eice 
had  been  pitted  and  consistent  foes, 
the  recorded  impressions  of  either 
side   should   be   taken    cum  grano. 


O'Connell     nicknamed     Monteagle 
'  Lord  Mountgoose.' 

1  Mount  Trenchard : 
'  3  Sept.  1858. 

'  Dear  Sir,—  .  .  .  The  letter  of 
which  you  so  obligingly  sent  me  a 
copy  is  a  very  curious  one  indeed. 
I  think,  as  the  result  of  much  obser- 
vation, that  O'Connell  was  most  suc- 
cessful where  he  felt  most  strongly 
and  where  he  was  least  laboriously 
prepared.  In  the  Union  speech  he 
was  exposed  to  both  these  incon- 
veniences. He  did  not  give  me  the 
appearance  of  any  earnest  convic- 
tion. For  the  most  part  his  argu- 
ment might  have  been  conceded, 
and  the  conclusion  denied  and  con- 
troverted. For  instance,  supposing 
that  all  the  injustice  of  Straff  ord 
and  the  severities  described  by 
Spenser  were  admitted — and  I  am 


428     COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  xi. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Magee's  memorial  shall  be  as 
well  treated  as  I  can  promise  it  to  be.  On  this  subject 
you  shall  hear  from  me  again.  An  accident  prevented  its 
going  forward  in  a  favourable  shape  sooner.  But  surely 
you  and  Mr.  Magee  both  know  that  its  coming  through  me 
is  a  disparagement.3 

This  I  endeavoured  to  obviate,  but  I  cannot,  and  so 
must  do  the  best  I  can.  We  have  in  all  its  details  a 
rascally  Government. 

Could  you  get  Staunton  or  Barrett  to  republish  the 
speech  made  by  Boyton  at  the  Conservative  Club  on  the 
financial  part  of  the  Union  ? 

Shall  I  make  a  quiet  or  a  wicked  speech  ?  Wicked  for 
ever — is  it  not  so  ? 

I  got  the  Bishop's  resolutions.  I  regret  bitterly  that 
the  old  love  of  Ireland  does  not  predominate.  We  must 


not  one  who  would  controvert  them 
—  that  does  not  touch  the  question  of 
the  expediency  or  inexpediency  of 
the  Eepeal  of  the  Union.  The  ques- 
tion of  the  competency  of  Ireland 
to  walk  alone,  the  necessity  of 
resting  on  some  stronger  power — 
England  or  France — and  the  relative 
consequence  of  the  one  or  the 
other  of  these  alternatives,  is  not 
approached.  The  practicability  of  a 
single  executive  monarch  and  the 
impracticability  of  a  dissevered 
Legislature — all  this  is  passed  over. 
The  great  indignation  felt  at  permit- 
ting England,  as  before  1782,  to  claim 
legislative  authority  over  Ireland 
when  Ireland  was  unrepresented  is 
confounded  with  her  position  when 
she  attained  what  Molineux  con- 
sidered too  great  a  boon  to  be  ex- 
pected— a  share  in  both  houses  of 
an  Imperial  Parliament.  Who  is  so 
absurd  as  to  call  Scotland  a  province 
or  not  to  see  that  it  is  to  the  Union 
she  owes  her  strength  and  prosperity? 
Again,  what  is  proved  even  by  the 
eloquent  declamation  in  1799  and 


1800  of  Plunket  and  Burke?  No- 
thing beyond  the  weight  of  their 
names  coupled  with  the  fact  that 
these  Philips,  sober,  but  reversed  the 
dicta  of  their  days  of  intoxication. 
Then  how  can  he  repeat  the  soph- 
isms of  Locke,  who,  without  deny- 
ing that  there  must  be  in  every  state 
a  supreme  power,  would  endeavour 
to  place  bounds  on  that  supreme 
authority  ? — and  that  in  a  country 
where  our  Sovereign  has  no  title  to 
show  but  the  Parliamentary  one  of 
1688. 

'  I  believe  O'Oonnell  urged  the 
Eepeal  with  a  view  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  other  things,  in  which  he 
seriously  believed  tJiat  Ireland  would 
be  benefited.  He  used  Kepeal  as 
a  householder  might  use  a  wolf-dog 
in  a  leash,  not  wishing  to  loose  the 
animal,  but  to  frighten  those  whom 
he  considered  as  evil-doers  with  his 
howl.' 

3  Possibly  Mr.  James  Magee,  of 
the  Dublin  Evening  Post,  who  soon 
after  was  appointed  a  police  magis- 
trate. (See  p.  435.) 


1834  EMERSON  TENNENT  429 

in  private  expostulate  with  them  separately.     This  I  will 
endeavour  to  do,  but  privately,  of  all  things. 

How  anxious  I  am  to  know  whether  Staunton  and 
MacCabe  can  come. 

MacCabe  must  have  one  or  two  to  help  him  with  my 
speech.  We  will  arrange  with  the  Freeman. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Edward  Dwyer. 

24th  April,  1834. 

I  knocked  myself  up  after  my  five  hours'  speech  by 
going  too  soon  into  the  night  air  without  a  cloak ;  but 
having  confined  myself  to  the  house  the  entire  of  yesterday, 
I  have  got  quite  rid  of  sore  throat  and  headache,  and  am 
able  to  join  again  in  the  debate  to-night. 

I  never  felt  more  buoyant  in  spirits,  nor  so  strong  in 
my  hopes  of  Eepeal,  as  at  this  moment.  When  an  accurate 
report  of  my  speech  appears,  as  it  will,  without  delay,  from 
the  notes  of  Mr.  MacCabe,  with  the  documentary  illustra- 
tions, I  do  think  it  will  make  an  impression  in  Ireland.  I 
was  unable  to  use  a  tenth  part  of  the  materials  with  which 
I  am  provided,  and  I  exhausted  half  my  speech  in  proving 
the  Rights.  Up  to  this  moment  all  is  not  only  well,  but 
infinitely  better  than  could  have  been  expected,  and  nothing 
but  keeping  up  religious  dissensions  in  Ireland  can  possibly 
prevent  us  from  becoming  too  powerful  in  moral  influence 
to  allow  the  nation  to  continue  much  longer  in  the  condition 
of  a  province. 

To  P.  F.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  Friday,  25th  April,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — All  is  going  on  exceedingly  well. 
Emerson  Tennent 4  printed  a  long  abusive  speech,  of  which 
he  delivered  as  much  as  he  could  recollect.  He  was  cut  up 

4  M.P.  for  Belfast,  and  author  of  was  generally  at  war  with  him,  and 

a  History  of  Ceylon.     He  began  as  predicted  that  he  would  soon  cease 

a    Liberal,   but  went  over   to    the  to  be  the  Tenant  for  Belfast.    Died 

Tories    with     Stanley.      O'Connell  1869. 


430     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON  NELL    CH.  xi. 

exceedingly  well  by  Feargus  O'Connor,  who  made  an  effec- 
tive speech.  Littleton  was  very  poor;  Barron  not  very 
great,  as  you  would  easily  imagine.  It  is  admitted  in  the 
House  that  my  speech  is  altogether  unanswered.  In  fact  I 
took  grounds  of  fact  and  history,  to  which  there  could  not 
be  any  reply  save  dissenting  from  the  question,  and  sophis- 
ticating on  other  facts  or  figures.  The  entire  question,  as 
debated,  turns  on  these  two  points :  First,  did  Ireland  pro- 
sper after  1782  under  her  own  parliament  ?  The  Govern- 
ment say,  No.^  Has  she  prospered  since  the  Union  ?  The 
Government  say,  Yes. 

You,  therefore,  see  at  once  how  compleatly  triumphant 
our  case  is  with  the  People  of  Ireland.  But  I  sat  down 
principally  to  bid  you  be  of  good  cheer.  You  may  see  in  the 
Morning  Herald  of  this  day  the  admission  that  my  speech 
was  very  dexterous  for  its  purposes.  I  hope  you  will  agree 
when  you  see  the  correct  report.  At  all  events,  I  can  con- 
fidently assert  it  was  totally  unanswered. 

See  Barrett  and  tell  him  I  will  write  to  him  to-morrow 
and  give  him  'private  correspondence'*  regularly  in  future. 
This  fact  is  not  to  be  communicated  to  any  body  but  to 
Barrett  himself. 

Again  I  repeat  that  we  Eepealers  have  made  great  moral 
way  in  the  opinion  of  the  House.  The  members  in  their 
private  conversations  have  but  one  opinion  on  the  subject. 

In  the  meantime,  the  discontents  in  this  country  are 
accumulating.  The  agricultural  distress,  and  the  disaffec- 
tion amongst  the  operatives,  give  them  matter  to  think  of 
at  home. 

Hurrah  for  the  Eepeal ! 

Sincerely  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

On  April  29,  1834,  the  debate  on  Eepeal  was  brought  to 
a  close  by  a  speech  of  Spring  Eice,  packed  with  figures, 
which  consumed  six  hours  in  the  delivery.  On  a  division 
not  more  than  forty  votes  supported  O'Connell,  while  the 

5  For  his  newspaper. 


1834  THE  REPEAL  DEBATE  431 

adverse  pronouncement  amounted  to  523.  O'Connell's 
oration,  though  not  one  of  his  best,  had  many  admirers, 
and  the  journals  of  the  day  record  its  praises  both  in  prose 
and  verse. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London:  29th  April,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, —  .  .  .  We  close  the  debate  this 
night.  I  do  not  think  we  shall  have  one  single  English 
member  with  us.6  Yet  I  congratulate  you  and  the  country 
on  the  result.  Six  days'  debate  on  a  question  which  we 
were  told  would  be  overwhelmed  at  once,  and  the  result 
of  the  engagement,  stripped  of  extraneous  matter,  decidedly 
with  us.  It  indeed  turns  upon  the  single  fact,  whether  or 
not  Ireland  has  prospered  by  or  since  the  Union.  Eice 
figures  Ireland  into  Prosperity.  Is  Ireland  prosperous? 
Whoever  thinks  not  refutes  Eice's  entire  case  and  that  of 
the  Unionists.  Whoever  says  '  Yes  '  gives  Eice  the  victory. 

This  in  one  line  is  the  state  of  the  argument.  I  need 
not  say  how  triumphant,  alas !  does  the  real  misery  of 
Ireland  render  our  case. — In  haste, 

Yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  election  of  Ebenezer  Jacob  for  Dungarvan  having 
been  declared  void  on  petition  a  new  writ  was  issued. 

To  John  Doiver,  Dungarvan. 

London  :  1st  May,  1834. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  know  your  regard  for  me,  and  I  am 
truly  grateful  for  it.  All  I  will  say  to  you  is,  that  if  you 
wish  me  to  continue  my  political  life,  nay,  if  you  value  my 
personal  health  and  peace  of  mind,  you  will  return  me  and 
Jacob  again  for  Dungarvan.  I  won't  say  more  to  you  save 
this,  that  if  he  be  again  returned,  look  to  me  for  the  per- 
formance, according  to  your  own  interpretation,  of  the  pro- 
mise we  made  you.  Nay,  whether  he  be  returned  or  not,  I 

6  One  English  member  did  vote  for  O'Connell's  motion. 


432     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xi. 


take  the  thing  on  myself  between  you  and  me ;  and  I  now 
pledge  myself  to  you  unequivocally  that  you  shall  be  satis- 
fied in  any  event. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Another  close  contest  followed.  Jacob  polled  293,  and 
Barron  269  votes.  A  long  letter  from  Dower  to  O'Connell, 
dated  1839,  claims  the  redemption  of  his  promise,  the  more 
so  '  because  he  had  been  ruined  in  his  business  as  a  brewer 
by  the  temperance  movement  of  Father  Mathew.'  The 
sum  he  claimed  was  £350. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  7th  May,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — See  Reynolds  7  for  me,  and  beg 
of  him  not  to  agitate  for  a  Eepeal  meeting  for  the  present. 
This  is  a  critical  moment,  and  I  am  endeavouring  to  make 
the  most  of  it  for  Ireland.  Either  the  Ministry  will  concede 
to  me  the  Tithe  question  or  they  will  not.  If  so,  I  lighten 
the  burthen  of  Tithes  three-fifths,  and  procure  a  share  of  the 
fund  for  Hospitals,  Infirmaries,  Dispensaries,  and  Glebes. 
If,  on  the  contrary,  no  concession  is  made,  then  I  will  be 
able  to  recommence  the  Eepeal  agitation  with  tenfold 
force  after  having  given  this  fair  and  fortunate  trial  to  the 
British  Parliament. 

You  must  not  suppose  that  there  is  the  least  relaxation 
in  my  opinions  on  the  subject  of  the  Repeal.  My  conviction 


7  Thomas  Eeynolds,  a  popular 
orator  of  local  fame,  and  appointed, 
later  on,  City  Marshal.  One  heavy 
care  depressed  him  through  life — he 
was  the  namesake  of  the  base  in- 
former of  '  Ninety  Eight  1  '  At  a 
national  meeting  held  in  the  Coburg 
Gardens — now  the  grounds  of  Sir  E. 
Cecil  Guinness — he  opposed  a  band 
of  riotous  Orangemen  who  sought  to 
scatter  confusion  in  the  camp.  For 
this  he  was  sentenced  to  nine  months' 
imprisonment,  but  when  four  had 
elapsed  Lord  Mulgrave  set  him 
free.  The  trouble  in  which  Eey- 
nolds involved  himself  the  penetrat- 
ing eye  of  O'Connell  foresaw. 


John  Eeynolds,  afterwards  M.P. 
for  Dublin,  to  whom  allusion  is 
also  occasionally  made  in  these 
letters,  was  the  brother  of  Tom. 
His  face  was  the  reverse  of  prepos- 
sessing. On  the  return  from  trans- 
portation of  Smith  O'Brien  and  other 
patriots  of  '48,  Mr.  Donegan,  a 
popular  silversmith,  presented  them 
with  gold  watches  suitably  inscribed. 
Eeynolds,  who  was  then  Lord  Mayor, 
represented  to  Donegan  that  he  had 
done  as  much  for  Ireland  as  any  of 
these  men  and  also  deserved  a  watch. 
In  reply  he  was  told  that  when  he 
returned  from  penal  servitude  his 
claim  would  be  considered. 


1834  'HEREDITARY  BONDSMEN'  433 

on  that  subject  is  really  unalterable,  but  I  will  get  what  I  can 
and  use  the  Eepeal  in  terrorem  merely  until  it  is  wise  and 
necessary  to  recommence  the  agitation.  It  is  quite  discreet 
not  to  give  the  Ministry  any  excuse  for  further  coercive 
measures,  or  for  continuing  any  part  of  the  Coercion  Bill. 
The  House  of  Commons  would  be  ready  enough  to  do 
anything  against  Ireland  which  the  Ministry  may  ask.  I 
will  not  give  them  any  excuse.  I  will  seek  for  practical 
benefits  for  Ireland  in  a  tone  and  temper  beyond  reproach, 
and  until  the  Session  terminates  I  will  not  give  the 
Ministers  the  least  excuse  for  Algerine  laws  of  any  descrip- 
tion. I  will  not  publish  my  '  Hereditary  bondsmen  '  letter 
until  the  Tithe  Bill  is  decided.  Lord  John  Eussell  was 
manly  and  determined  last  night,  and  there  are  reasons 
to  believe  that  I  shall  contribute  to  a  great  '  Tithe  revolu- 
tion '  even  before  this  Session  closes.  It  is  curious  that  I 
should,  in  spite  of  me,  feel  sorry  that  the  Ministry  should 
have  the  grace  to  yield  to  my  demand ;  but  even  so,  it  would 
perhaps  strengthen  the  Eepeal  demand  by  lessening  the 
number  of  those  who  now  oppose  it  from  interested  or 
bigoted  motives.  I  must  conclude.  Take  care  that  this 
letter  does  not  get  into  print. 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

'  The  arrival  of  this  letter,'  writes  P.  V.  FitzPatrick  in  a 
note  attached  to  it,  '  prevented  the  publication  of  a  formid- 
able requisition  for  a  meeting  to  renew  the  Eepeal  agitation. 
The  requisition  was  actually  in  type,  but  the  subscribers 
deferred  at  once  to  O'Connell's  recommendation.' 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 
(Private.)  London :  8th  May,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  write  merely  to  say  that  you 
should  see  my  friend  Eeynolds 8  as  speedily  as  possible,  and 

8  This    letter,    though    marked  regarded    this    clever    orator    with 

•  Private,'  may  have  been  written  in  scant  esteem,  but  in  point  of   fact 

order    to    be   shown   to    Eeynolds.  every  popular  leader  who  failed  to 

It  will  be   seen    from    O'Connell's  yield  implicit  obedience   to  O'Con- 

letters    of  June    19   and  22,   1833,  nell  incurred  his  censure, 
and  of  January  26,   1841,  that  he 

VOL.    I.  F  F 


434     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xi. 

give  him  in  strict  confidence  my  most  anxious  advice  not  to 
call  any  meeting  directly  or  indirectly  on  the  subject  of  the 
Repeal  for  some  weeks.  He  is  not  a  man  to  yield  to  mere 
authority,  although  I  do  believe  he  has  some  confidence  in 
me,  but  he  will  yield  to  a  just  and  sound  reason.  Now  that 
reason  is,  that  the  parliament  are  ready  to  enact  any  Law, 
however  atrocious,  to  meet  Eepeal  agitation.  My  game 
therefore  is,  and  it  ought  to  be  that  of  every  sound  Repealer, 
to  suspend  any  demonstration  on  our  part  until  the  Session 
shall  be  so  far  advanced  as  not  to  leave  time  for  any  other 
Coercion  Bill.  Reynolds  will  see  that  I  am  not  only  taking 
this  view,  but  am  actively  engaged  in  looking  for  practical 
relief  in  the  most  temperate  way  from  this  parliament  for 
Ireland.  If,  while  I  take  this  line  on  the  one  hand  and  Ire- 
land is  silent  on  the  other,  any  further  coercive  attempt  is 
made,  see  on  what  strong  grounds  I  shall  be  able  to  oppose 
it,  and  what  a  repeal  reawaking  speech  I  shall  be  able  to 
make  in  that  opposition  !  Put  this  view  before  Reynolds 
and  other  honest  Repealers,  and  I  think  they  will  be  likely 
to  concur  with  me  in  a  short  postponement  of  any  meeting. 
I  am  working  the  Tythe  question  well.  You  have  no  idea, 
and  I  cannot  tell  you  how  far  I  have  proceeded  towards 
success.  A  Repeal  meeting  may  at  present  thwart  my 
purposes.  I  want  either  to  get  solid  advantages  for  Ireland 
or  to  shew  that  quietness,  humility  of  deportment  and  irre- 
sistible argument  are  all  put  aside  by  the  fell  genius  of  de- 
spotic domination  over  our  miserable  country.  You  see  what 
I  gain  in  the  one  case,  and  also  in  the  other.  Implore,  then, 
of  Reynolds  and  of  the  other  honest  Repealers  to  allow  my 
experiment  its  full  development.  He  may  depend  on  it 
that  the  cause  of  Repeal  will  not,  and  shall  not,  suffer  by  a 
short  postponement  of  direct  agitation. 

The  Ministry  is  greatly  staggered  on  the  Tithe  question. 
This  is  their  time  to  make  a  great  experiment  for  Ire- 
land, but  they  will  let  it  pass — and  then Hurrah  for 

Repeal ! 

In  short,  Reynolds  will  understand  my  plan,  and,  I 
believe,  act  upon  it. 


1834 


435 


You  will  take  care  not  to  allow  this  letter  to  get  into  the 
newspapers. 

For  myself,  I  am  in  perfect  health  and  spirits,  blessed  be 
God  !  Now  I  laugh  at  the  chuckling  triumph  of  our  silly 
and  mercenary  Irish  Unionists.  Poor  creatures  !  they  are 
like  the  Indian  savages  who  occasionally  in  dark  nights  fear 
that  the  sun  is  extinguished  for  ever  and  will  never  rise 
again.  Naboclish  !  !  But  do  all  you  can  to  allow  me  to  play 
off  in  full  light  the  falsehood  of  the  promise  in  the  address  to 
the  King  to  remove  all  just  subjects  of  complaint  in  Ireland. 
It  is  of  precious  importance  that  I  should  not  be  interrupted 
in  that  part  of  my  duty. 

How  does  Barrett  bear  his  imprisonment  ? 
Yours  most  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  10th  May,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Magee's  memorial  has  not  as  yet 
been  transmitted.  I  intended  to  have  looked  particularly 
to  it  so  soon  as  the  Eepeal  question  terminated  for  this 
Session.  But  although  the  Duke  of  Eichmond  did  not 
resign,  yet  he  was  '  a  screw  loose '  for  some  time,  and  no 
prospect  could  be  held  out  of  particular  attention  to  any 
thing  exclusively  Irish.  The  moment  a  new  postmaster- 
general  is  appointed  I  will,  you  may  be  sure,  attend  par- 
ticularly to  that  memorial,  and  if  either  Lords  Durham  or 
Radnor  be  appointed  the  thing  shall  be  done. 

As  to  Wexford,  Sir  Thomas  Esmonde  declines,  although 
I  urged  him  in  the  strongest  manner.  I  wish  you  would 
at  once  see  my  friend  John  Power,  and  get  him  to  consent 
to  stand,  either  himself  or  his  son.9  I  urged  Nich.  Fitz Simon 
strongly  on  this  point.  But  do  you  get  a  decision  from  the 
father  at  once.  If  either  Power  stands  then  we  will  com- 
mence our  canvass  at  once.  If  they  refuse,  suggest  Sharman 
Crawford  l  from  me.  He  should  not  get  a  public  invitation 

9  The  son  was  elected  and  became  Sir  James  Power,  Bart. 
1  The  father  of  Tenant  Eight. 

F  F  2 


436     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  xi. 


until  we  had  sounded  the  constituency  and  were  able  to  pro- 
mise his  return.  I  will  write  this  day  or  to-morrow  to  an 
influential  ecclesiastic,  who  will  tell  me  how  the  land  lies. 

Call  on  my  friend  Jeremiah  Dunne  and  consult  with 
him  as  to  Kildare.  Tell  him  my  plan  would  be  to  sup- 
port O'Farrell  2  if  there  had  been  a  real  concession  made 
to  Ireland  on  the  Tithe  question,  but  that  is  not  the 
case.  On  the  contrary,  the  Bill  is  to  be  very,  very  lad,  even 
with  all  its  changes.  And  again,  there  is  no  pledge  against 
renewing  the  Coercion  Bill,  so  that  under  existing  circum- 
stances I  believe  Mr.  O'Farrell  will  not  resign  his  seat  ;  but 
if  he  do  resign  his  seat  by  accepting  office  I  cannot  see  how  it 
is  possible  for  the  friends  of  Ireland  not  to  oppose  him.  At 
least  my  inclination  would  be,  under  such  circumstances,  to 
give  him  all  the  opposition  in  my  power.  It  turns  on  this  : 
Will  the  Ministry  do  anything  substantial  FOR  Ireland  ?  Will 
they  declare  that  they  will  not  do  something  more  against 
Ireland  ?  Unless  we  get  a  security,  or  rather  securities,  of 
these  descriptions  I  am  for  opposing  every  man  connected 
with  the  present  Ministry.  I  will  do  so  reluctantly  as  re- 
gards O'Farrell,  who  has  some  good  points  about  him,  and 
would  be  better  if  he  were  not  mixed  up  with  the  unsavory 
Cloncurry  Clique-een,  which,  you  know,  is  the  diminutive  of 

Clique.3 

Yours  very  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Monday,  May  19,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick,  —  .  .  .  Tell  Barrett  there  is  no 
news.  A  strong  party  making  up  to  compel  the  Ministry 
to  yield  to  some  common  sense  measures  for  Ireland  ;  but 
it  is  believed  that  Lord  Grey  is  personally  too  hostile  to  our 
unhappy  country  to  accede  to  anything  substantially  useful. 
In  the  meantime,  I  am  apt  to  think  that  the  King  is  getting 

(See  pp. 


2  Mr.  More   O'Farrell. 
439-441.) 

3  The    patriot    peer    Cloncurry 
sacrificed  his  popularity  by  becoming 
the  confidant  of  Lord  Anglesey,  in 


whose  good  intentions  he  was  a 
thorough  believer.  (See  Personal 
Recollections  of  Lord  Cloncurry. 
Dublin  :  1849.) 


1834  THE   CABINET  SHAKEN  437 

too  niad  to  be  any  longer — or  at  least  much  longer — under 
control.  It  is  said  that  he  lately  reviewed  a  regiment  of 
the  Guards  more  than  once  on  the  same  day.  Other  stories 
are  told  of  at  least  an  equally  equivocal  character.  But 
this  is  a  subject  which  must,  if  at  all,  be  touched  on  with 
the  greatest  delicacy,  and  an  expression  of  deep  regret.  It 
would  not  be  right  to  allude  to  insanity  at  all,  or  to  talk  of 
anything  but  the  King's  health  not  being  as  satisfactory  as 
could  be  desired. 

But  all  this  is  matter  of  great  delicacy.  It  may,  how- 
ever, be  right  to  have  the  public  soon  become  acquainted 
with  a  distinct  idea  of  the  real  fact.  However,  not  for  the 
present.  In  short,  let  Barrett  use  a  cautious  discretion. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  death  this  year  of  Earl  Spencer  and  the  removal  of 
Althorp  to  the  House  of  Lords  as  his  successor  afforded 
to  William  IV.  an  opportunity  for  dismissing  his  Ministers. 
Sir  Eobert  Peel  formed  a  Government  which  remained  in 
office  only  to  April  8,  1835.  O'Connell's  foresight  proved 
sound:  Peel  was  driven  from  office  by  a  division  on  the 
Tithe  question,  the  voting  being  285  to  258.  But  these 
remarks  somewhat  anticipate. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

(Confidential.)  London  :  22nd  May,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — We  are  in  such  a  state  of  sus- 
pense that  I  do  not  know  how  to  write.  My  Tithe  plan  is 
shaking  the  Cabinet.  But  there  is  so  much  rascality 
towards  Ireland  that  they  will  make  up  between  themselves 
in  order  to  combine  against  us.  I  expect  nothing  from 
them  but  the  most  distinct  proof  of  the  necessity  of  re- 
newing the  Kepeal  cry,  a  renewal  which  is  indeed  inevit- 
able, but  must  be  postponed  as  long  as  possible,  so  as  to 
take  away  all  excuse  from  our  enemies. 

Tell  Croker  and  Codd,4  with  my  compliments,  that  it  is 
impossible  to  get  at  the  evidence  before  Sir  H.  Parnell 
until  Lord  Althorp  developes  that  mystical  plan  which  he 
4  See  pp.  362  et  seq. 


438     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL     CH.  xi, 

promised  at  the  beginning  of  the  Session,  by  which  Ireland 
was,  or  is,  to  be  relieved  of  much  of  the  burthens  without 
any  diminution  in  what  she  pays  in  revenue.  As  soon, 
therefore,  as  possible  I  will  endeavour  to  procure  the  evidence 
they  wish  for,  if  it  ever  be  possible. 

I  am  to  have  the  Ministerial  determination,  they  say,  on 
Saturday.  No  stone  has  been  left  unturned  to  arrange  the 
Tithe  question  satisfactorily  to  the  people.  But  I  must 
conclude. 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Four  members  of  the  Government  resigned  on  the  ques- 
tion of  the  appropriation  of  the  funds  of  the  Irish  Church 
to  any  but  ecclesiastical  purposes.  These  were  the  Duke 
of  Eichmond,  Postmaster-General;  Lord  Eipon,  Privy  Seal; 
Mr.  Stanley,  Colonial  Secretary ;  and  Sir  J.  Graham,  First 
Lord  of  the  Admiralty.  The  places  thus  vacated  were 
promptly  filled  by  the  Marquis  Conyngham,  Lord  Carlisle, 
Spring  Eice,  and  Lord  Auckland. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  29th  May,  34. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — This  is  a  moment  when  one 
should  write,  if  it  were  only  to  say  that  there  are  no  news. 
I  cannot  exactly  say  that,  but  yet  there  are  but  few  facts 
actually  known.  It  is,  however,  quite  certain  that  the 
alteration  in  the  Cabinet  will  be  all  in  favour  of  popular 
freedom.  It  is  not  known  how  far  the  changes  are  likely  to 
extend,  but  it  is  beyond  any  doubt  that  Lord  Grey  has  the 
absolute  power  to  appoint  to  the  vacancies.  The  four 
Cabinet  ministers  named  yesterday  in  the  papers  are  the 
only  persons  whose  resignations  are  accepted.  Doubts  are 
entertained  whether  Lord  Lansdowne  will  remain.  On 
the  other  hand,  no  new  anointment  has  as  yet  been  made. 
But  I  think  I  may  assure  you  that  Mr.  Abercrombie,  who  was 
agent  in  chief  to  the  Duke  of  Devonshire,  is  to  be  in  the 
new  Cabinet.  This  is  most  propitious  for  Ireland.  He 
voted  against  the  Coercion  Bill,  and  is  a  man  with  whom 


1834 


CHANGES  IN   THE   CABINET 


439 


one  could  have  confidential  communications.  He  thinks 
with  me  on  the  Tythe  question,  and,  in  short,  he  is  the 
Cabinet  minister  who  would  be  most  useful  to  the  people  of 
Ireland.  Stanley  is  irrevocably  gone  in  public  opinion,  and 
Sir  James  Graham  is  looked  on  as  a  political  goose  of  the 
most  foolish  class.  It  is  well  to  have  the  worst  part  of  the 
Government  thrown  overboard. 

As  to  myself,  I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you.  Indeed, 
you  are  quite  aware  that  I  look  for  measures  only.  I  would 
not,  and  indeed  could  not,  do  anything  which  may  by 
any  possibility  implicate  me  with  any  party  save  one  deter- 
mined to  do  full  justice  to  Ireland.  However,  we  shall  see 
by  the  end  of  the  next  forty-eight  hours  what  is  to  be.  I 
must  conclude.  Be  of  good  cheer. 

Ever  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  30th  May,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — News,  unimportant  news  that  is, 
for  the  present.  There  never  was  a  mountain  in  labour 
produced  a  more  ridiculous  mouse.  Only  think,  with  un- 
limited power  to  select  an  efficient  Cabinet,  Lords  Grey  and 
Brougham  have  taken  pains  to  strike  '  the  brains '  out  of  the 
Ministry,  and  to  substitute  figures  of  straw — what  Cobbett 
calls  Thee-boys — to  frighten  away  the  crows  from  corn. 
They  have  not  selected  any  one  man  of  talent.  In  addition 
to  their  former  gang,  Lord  Auckland  and  Lord  Carlisle  get 
seats  in  the  Cabinet.  So  does  Ellice,  the  only  national  man 
in  it.  Spring  Eice  goes  to  the  Colonies  if  he  can  be  re- 
turned again.  He  has  gone  down  to  canvass.  Poulet 
Thompson  succeeds  Lord  Auckland  as  actual  president  of 
the  Board  of  Trade — that  is,  if  the  people  of  Manchester 
will  return  him  again.  The  only  one  Irish  man  consulted 
was  More  OTarrell ;  he  is  to  be  a  Lord  of  the  Treasury. 
When  I  last  knew  Kildare  it  would  have  been  hard  for  him. 
to  secure  an  election,  although  quite  sure  he  did  right  to 
accept  office,  as  his  holding  it  is  a  brain  blow  to  that 


440     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xi. 


Orange  party  which  poor  Lord  Anglesey  raised  to  a  new 
vitality  in  Ireland.  This  Cabinet  has  come  upon  us  by 
surprise.  It  is  full  of  foolishness  and  drivelling.  It  will 
require  new  hands  as  well  as  heads  and  hearts  to  keep 
Lord  Grey  in  power ;  but  there  is  this  advantage,  that  they 
must,  even  by  reason  of  their  weakness,  adopt  useful 
measures.  The  temporalities  of  the  Established  Church  in 
Ireland  will  get  a  sweeping  blow  on  Monday. 

Ward's  motion  will  be  carried  by  an  immense  majority, 
and  the  future  arrangements  of  the  Tithe  Bill  will  be  liable 
to  salutary  alteration.  It  is  no  small  comfort  that  Stanley 
is  hors  de  combat.  He  was  the  worst  of  the  bad  in  every- 
thing which  relates  to  Ireland.  It  is  no  small  matter  to 
have  him  removed  from  the  Government.5  Only  think  of 
that  High  Churchman,  Lord  Plunket,  continuing  in  office 
after  the  present  attack  on  the  Church  !  but  the  money-pot 
retains  him.  It  is  clear  that  we  are  on  the  road  to  further 
changes,  and  that  they  must  be  in  the  direction  of  the 
popular  cause.  At  all  events,  the  ascendancy  party  in 
Ireland  has  received  a  warning  such  as  precedes  inevitable 
dissolution.  Oh,  how  I  crow  over  the  spring  which  the 
Ministers  are  giving  to  the  Eepeal ! 

They  are  annihilating  the  opposition  to  it  which  was 
alone  formidable — that  of  the  Clerical  and  Protestant  party 
in  Ireland.  If  I  had  hired  them  expressly  to  play  the  game 
of  the  Eepealers  they  would  not  do  it  half  so  well.  They 


5  In  1833  Stanley,  afterwards 
Lord  Derby,  passed  the  Church 
Temporalities  Bill;  but  in  1834, 
alarmed  at  Melbourne's  scheme  for 
a  more  sweeping  measure  of  Church 
Eeform,  he  withdrew  from  office, 
carrying  with  him  the  Duke  of 
Richmond,  Lord  Eipon,  and  Sir 
James  Graham.  O'Connell  raised  a 
hearty  laugh  during  a  Parliamentary 
debate,  by  his  application  of  Can- 
ning's lines : 

*  So  clown  thy  Hill,  romantic  Ash- 

burne,  glides, 
The   Derby  Dilly,    carrying    Three 

Insides.' 


Fagan's  Life  of  O'Connell  (ii.  346) 
quotes  this  as  'six  insides,'  and  tries 
to  account  for  the  number  by  enu- 
merating six  comparatively  obscure 
followers ;  but  '  three  '  is  the  coin- 
cident number  mentioned  in  Can- 
ning's Loves  of  the  Triangles  ;  and 
the  above  version  of  the  three  states- 
men whom  Stanley  carried  with  him 
I  have  taken  from  the  sketch, 
revised  by  himself,  in  Men  of  the 
Time  for  1865.  Lord  Derby  adds 
that  he  declined  to  take  part  in 
the  Ministry  formed  by  Peel  on 
Grey's  resignation,  but  continued 
to  act  with  the  Conservative  opposi- 
tion. 


1834  MORE   O'FABEELL 

are  disgusting  and  scattering  the  Orange  party,  and  they 
have  not  manliness  to  do  substantial  justice  to  the  people 
at  large. 

Hurrah  for  the  Eepeal ! 

Of  course  I  will  not  disturb  the  present  calm  until  we 
have  the  Appropriation  Clause  secured,  and  so  long  as 
there  is  a  prospect  of  carrying  into  effect  my  Tithe  scheme. 
Again  I  tell  you  to  be  of  good  cheer. 

Believe  me  always, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  3rd  June,  1834. 

...  I  sincerely  regret  the  death  of  my  excellent  and 
worthy  old  friend  Andrew  Ennis.6  I  wanted  to  have  him 
to  be  Lord  Mayor  of  Dublin.  May  the  great  God  be 
merciful  to  him  ! 

The  Ministry  is,  as  you  perceive,  quite  unformed.  All 
that  is  certain  is  that  the  Tories  cannot  come  in,  and  that 
Stanley  has  extinguished  himself  as  a  public  man.  The 
world  will  never  go  back  to  him,  and  he  cannot  advance  to 
the  state  of  the  public  mind.  I  do  not  believe  that  More 
OTarrell  will  accept  office.7  I  believe  he  is  afraid  of  his 
county.  You  perceive  that  I  am  still  playing  the  proper 
game  of  conciliation,  but  you  will  easily  believe  that  I  have 
not  in  thought,  word,  or  deed  abandoned  '  the  Eepeal,'  though 
I  am  endeavouring  to  do  two  things :  first,  to  get  all  I  can 
for  Ireland  in  the  interval ;  secondly,  to  cherish  the  hope 
that  the  Protestant  faction  will  at  length  see  that  they  can 
get  nothing  by  their  holding  out  against  Ireland. 
Believe  me  always,  &c.  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

6  Father   of  the  late    Sir   John  Secretary  of  the  Admiralty,  Governor 
Ennis,  Bart.  of  Malta,  and  a  member  of  the  Privy 

7  Mr.    More    O'Farrell    became  Council.      He   represented    Kildare 
Secretary    of    the    Treasury  under  from     1830    until    1847,    and   was 
Lord    Melbourne's    Administration,  again   elected   for    that    county    in 
and  afterwards  Lord  of  the  Treasury,  1859. 


442     COEEESPONDENCE   of  .DANIEL  0' CONN  ELL     CH.  xr. 

To  Thomas  Mooney,  Dublin.* 

London :  13th  June,  1834. 

Dear  Sir, — I  return  you  the  draft  you  sent  me  as  a  fee, 
simply  because  the  matter  does  not  come  before  me  in  legal 
form.  There  is  no  attorney,  nor  any  queries  requiring 
professional  advice.  If  I  had  been  required  in  that  shape 
I  would,  of  course,  have  given  my  opinion.  As  to  the 
Bank  to  which  you  allude — namely,  the  Irish  National 
Bank — it  is  about  to  be  founded  under  my  auspices,  if  they 
be  of  any  use.  The  more  banks  in  Ireland  the  better,  pro- 
vided they  be  founded  on  sound  banking  principles,  and 
not  merely  got  up  by  schemers  or  over- speculative  persons. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  the  Irish  National  Bank  will  be 
successful. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  17th  June,  1834. 

My  dear  FitaPatrick, — Find  out  from  Kildahl9  whether 
his  clients  have  any  objection  to  postpone  the  Dungarvan 
petition-trial  till  after  the  circuit,  or,  in  fact,  to  the  first 
day  of  the  next  Session.  It  would  accommodate  me  very 
much,  and  he  will  tell  you  candidly  if  he  intends  to  object. 
If  he  does  not,  I  will  get  an  order  to  that  effect  which  I 
pledge  myself  will  not,  and  cannot,  injure  his  clients. 

Well,  this  mean,  dastard,  rascally  Administration  have 
determined  to  renew  the  Coercion  Bill !  The  scoundrels  ! ! ! 
How  glad  I  am  that  I  made  my  experiment  fully  upon 
them.  So  even  with  them  we  go  in  the  House  and  out  of 
the  House  by  all  possible  legitimate  means.  Only  think  of 
their  falsehood  and  duplicity  !  Ellice,  a  Cabinet  Minister, 
told  me  that  there  was  no  such  decision.  I  did,  therefore, 
deem  it  impossible. 

8  The  National  Bank  was  insti-  Bank,  and  consulted   O'Connell   on 

tuted  at  a  meeting  held  in  London  the  subject. 

on   June   21,    1834.      Mr.    Thomas  9  A  well-known  name  in  Dublin. 

Mooney,     who    later    on    wrote    a  See  Life  of  Charles  Lever,  new  ed., 

History  of  Ireland,  was  labouring  at  p.  216. 
the  same  time  to  create  a  People's 


1834 


WILLIAM  BERNARD  MACCABE 


443 


Put  this  advertisement  into  the  Pilot : — 

'  Preparing  for  publication  :  The  Speech  of  Daniel 
O'Connell  on  the  Eepeal  of  the  Union,  reported  by  William 
MacCabe,  Esq.,  and  corrected  by  Mr.  O'Connell  himself,  to 
which  is  prefixed  an  Address  to  the  Irish  Nation  by  Daniel 
O'Connell.' 

I  will  set  about  preparing  it  without  delay.  I  have 
begun  and  will  proceed  with  '  the  Eepeal.'  My  experiment 
has  been  perfectly  successful.  I  have  shewn  that  the  most 
energetic  anxiety  to  conciliate  the  British  Government  and 
British  Parliament  is  totally  useless.  We  humbly  ask  for 
bread ;  they  give  us  a  stone.  Well,  can  there  be  one  wretch 
so  base  found  as  to  consent  to  wait  longer  before  he  becomes 
a  Eepealer  ? 

You  perceive  I  am  angry.  I  am  so,  but  I  am  not, 
therefore,  devoid  of  hope.  On  the  contrary,  my  hopes  are 
only  the  higher  because  of  this  flagrant  violation  of  every 
principle  of  justice  and  policy. 

See  Barrett.  I  will  write  to  him  to-morrow.  But  in 
the  mean  time  you  must  ascertain  the  day  on  which  he  is 
entitled  to  his  liberation. 

Pay  his  fine.  Have  his  sureties  passed  before  the  day 
arrives.  You  must  not  put  him  to  the  trouble  of  getting 
more  sureties.  You  must  get  them  in  my  name;  and 
surely  some  of  my  friends  won't  hesitate  ?  It  is  only  surety 
to  keep  the  peace,  and  a  libel  has  been  decided  not  to  be  a 
breach  of  the  peace,  so  that  there  is  no  real  danger.  Let 
everything  be  prepared,  so  that  Barrett  may  be  out  the  first 
possible  moment.  I  will  preside,  as  soon  as  I  arrive,  at  a 
public  dinner  to  him,  as  '  the  first  martyr  to  Eepeal.'  In 
haste, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

William  Bernard  MacCabe,  who  of  late  had  come  into 
high  favour  with  the  Liberator,  and  finally  wrote  a  touching 
narrative,  entitled  '  The  Last  Days  of  O'Connell,'  had  occupied 
for  some  time  a  downright  hostile  attitude  towards  him.  It 
was  O'Connell' s  fate  to  be  often  involved  in  warfare  with  the 


444     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  xi. 

Press.  MacCabe  led  the  revolt  of  the  Dublin  reporters  in 
1831,  and  how  it  came  about  remains  to  be  told.  A  leading 
member  of  that  body,  yclept  Nolan,  had  changed  his  name, 
religion,  and  politics,  and  gave  to  the  Government  the  bene- 
fit of  his  services  in  reporting  O'Connell  and  afterwards 
deposing  to  his  words  and  acts.  Irritated  that  an  Irish 
reporter  should  be  the  instrument  of  his  prosecution, 
O'Connell  referred  in  bitter  terms  to  the  whole  body.  They 
held  a  meeting,  with  MacCabe  in  the  chair,  and  resolved  to 
report  him  no  more.  At  a  subsequent  political  meeting  the 
stenographers,  after  taking  down  the  speeches  of  several 
orators,  dropped  their  pens  and  folded  their  arms  the 
moment  O'Connell  rose.  Fixing  his  eye  upon  the  quondam 
Nolan,  but  who  now  rejoiced  in  the  name  of  Elrington, 
O'Connell  exclaimed :  '  What !  am  I,  who  have  fluttered 
the  Ministry  in  the  Cabinet,  to  be  nibbled  at  by  mice  ? ' 
'  Do  you  mean  to  call  me  a  mouse,  sir  ? '  asked  Elrington, 
starting  to  his  feet.  '  I  could  not  be  guilty  of  such  a 
misnomer,'  was  the  reply.  'Everybody  knows  that  you  are 
a  big  rat ! '  Amid  the  laughter  which  this  hit  evoked,  the 
quarrel,  which  had  promised  to  be  a  '  mighty  pretty  one,' 
cooled  down,  and  in  a  few  days  the  Irish  reporters  resumed 
their  work.  Indeed,  one  of  the  body  amused  himself  by 
putting  the  incident  into  rhyme  : — 

'Tis  I  that  can  tell  about  Kerry, 

And  talk  of  the  Lakes  of  Killarney  ; 

'Tis  I  that  can  make  the  boys  merry, 
And  bother  the  ladies  with  '  Blarney.' 

Yet  I  who  have  bearded  Judge  Downes, 

And  Saurin  put  down  in  a  trice  ; 
Oh  !  thunder  and  big  blood  and  'ouns, 

Shall  I  be  put  down  by  the  '  Mice  '  ? 

In  1838  the  war  with  the  Dublin  reporters  was  renewed. 
They  protested  against  being  obliged  to  report  O'Connell's 
speeches  on  Sundays,  unless  when  delivered  within  four 
miles  of  the  metropolis.  O'Connell,  in  a  caustic  philippic, 
described  them  as  '  those  gentlemen  with  geographical 
consciences.' l 

The  following  letter  will  be  recognised  as  embodying  an 
intimation  conveyed  to  O'Connell  by  the  Irish  Government. 

1  Communicated  by  Daniel  Maclllwee,  the  Nestor  of  the  Irish  reporters. 


1834 


SHAPLAND    CAREW 


445 


This,  on  transpiring,  raised  a  storm  which  shook  the  Ad- 
ministration : — 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

(Confidential.)  London  :  24th  June,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  have  great  pleasure  in  telling 
you  that  no  part  of  the  Coercion  Bill  is  to  be  renewed,  but 
that  which  relates  to  '  Predial  Agitation,'  and  even  from 
that  everything  unconstitutional  is  to  be  omitted.  We  must 
therefore  soon  bethink  ourselves  of  returning  to  Dublin, 
and  of  arranging  for  political  agitation.  But  this  must  not 
appear  in  any  newspaper. 

If  it  be  necessary  for  you  to  go  down  to  Wexford,  do 
you.  go  down  at  once  and  secure  me  '  a  Eepealer.'  It  is 
essential  to  the  liberties  of  Ireland  that  we  should  thence 
get  an  honest  advocate  of  Eepeal. 

A  vacancy  had  arisen  in  the  representation  of  Wexford, 
owing  to  Mr.  Shapland  Carew  being  created  a  Peer,  and 
two  candidates  were  now  in  the  field,  one  a  supporter  of 
Grey,  the  other  a  disciple  of  '  Dan.'  At  this  juncture 
Littleton  expressed  a  wish  to  see  O'Connell  at  the  Irish 
Office.  The  summons  was  promptly  obeyed.  Littleton 
opened  the  subject  by  referring  to  a  public  letter  which  the 
Agitator  had  addressed  to  the  people  of  Wexford  urging 
them  to  plump  for  the  Eepealer.  He  assured  O'Connell 
that  the  Irish  Government  strongly  deprecated  a  renewal  of 
the  Coercion  Act,  though  a  short  Bill  to  check  the  secret 
confederacy  of  Whitefeet  might  be  brought  in,  and  he  felt 
it  right  to  communicate  the  fact  to  'the  one  only  person ' 
in  the  Irish  popular  party  in  whom  that  confidence  should 
be  reposed.  The  Viceroy  Wellesley,  though  at  first  for 
renewing  the  Coercion  Act,  was  now  against  it,  and  in  this 
view  he  had  been  quietly  encouraged  by  Althorp.2  Little- 


2  An  explanation  from  Althorp 
appears  in  The  Times  of  July  10, 
1834.  '  I  am  bound  to  say,  in  my 
own  justification,  that  I  begged  my 
right  honourable  friend  to  use  ex- 
treme caution  in  his  communication, 
and  by  no  means  to  commit  himself 
in  what  he  said.  Inspired  by  these 
words  a  contemporary  bard  threw 


off  some  pleasant  verses,  of  which  a. 
few  are  subjoined  : — 

1  Go    forth  !  —  go    forth  !  —  beloved 

friend ! ' 

(He  said — and  pressed  his  hand), 
'  And  bid  the  conflagration  end, 
And  quench  the  traitor's  brand  ; 
Too  long  we've  tried  the  feeble  law 
To  stay  him  in  his  path — 


446     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON NELL     CH.  xi. 


ton  ended  by  an  assurance  that  if,  perchance,  any  attempt 
•were  made  to  renew  the  obnoxious  Act,  certainly  it  would 
not  be  brought  in  by  him.  A  letter,  heaping  odium  on  the 
Whigs,  and  addressed  to  the  Eeformers  of  England,  was  at 
that  moment  in  type.  O'Connell  not  only  cancelled  this 
letter,  but  consented  to  open  Wexford  to  the  Government 
by  withdrawing  his  nominee.  He  hated  Whitefeet  and 
Moonlighters,  and  he  undertook  to  say  that  the  Irish 
members  whom  he  led  would  aid  any  measure  tending  to 
restrain  crime.  Ten  days  had  elapsed  when  Littleton, 
much  agitated,  sought  O'Connell,  to  say  that  the  Cabinet 
had  decided  on  renewing  the  Coercion  Act  in  all  its  terrors. 
O'Connell,  feeling  that  he  had  been  deceived,  told  Littleton 
with  warmth  that,  after  what  had  passed,  no  other  course 
was  now  open  to  the  Chief  Secretary  but  to  resign. 
'  As  frequent  but  ambiguous  reference  is  made  in  succeed- 
ing letters  to  a  triumph  which  O'Connell  claims  to  have 
obtained  over  Mr.  Littleton  in  debate,  some  explanation  is 
called  for,  especially  as  the  published  lives  of  O'Connell 
ignore  the  incident.  On  such  points  the  journals  of  the 
day  are  the  best  authority.  The  following  passage  of  arms 
introduces  quite  a  gladiatorial  struggle  : — 

Mr.  O'Connell :  '  Seeing  the  right  hon.  Secretary  for 
Ireland  in  his  place,  I  wish  to  know  from  him  whether  the 
statement  in  the  newspapers  is  true,  that  the  renewal  of 
the  Coercion  Bill  in  its  present  shape  is  called  for  by  the 
Irish  Government — that  is  to  say,  by  the  Lord  Lieutenant 
and  by  the  right  hon.  gentleman  ? ' 

Mr.  Littleton :  '  I  apprehend  that  it  is  not  a  matter  of 
course  to  reply  to  such  a  question,  which  refers  to  a  Bill  yet 
to  come  before  this  House ;  but  I  have  no  difficulty  in  say- 
ing that  the  introduction  of  the  Coercion  Bill  has  the  entire 
sanction  of  the  Irish  Government.' 

Mr.  O'Connell :  '  That  is  not  an  answer,  nor  anything 
like  an  answer  to  my  question,  which  was,  whether  the 

The  pow'rless  and  the  poor  ; 

Tell  him  we  never  meant  to  stay 

His  step  upon  the  hill — 

Tell  him  we  wish  them  all  to  pay 

His  righteous  '  tribute  '  still : 

Tell  him  that  lie  by  night,  or  day, 

May  roam  like  any  elf — 

But,  oh  !  be  cautious  what  you  say, 

And  don't  commit  yourself.' 


We  cannot  break  the  tiger's  jaw, 

But  we  must  sooth  his  wrath : 

He  snaps  the  chain — he  breaks  the 

spear, 

As  children  break  our  delf — 
But,  oh  !  be  cautious,  Edward  dear 
And  don't  commit  yourself. 
Tell  him  we  only  wish  to  bind 
The  peasant  and  the  boor — 
Tell  him  we  only  mean  to  grind 


1834  TILT   WITH  LITTLETON  447 

Bill  had  been  called  for  or  directed  by  the  Irish  Govern- 
ment ? ' 

Mr.  Littleton  :  '  I  can  give  no  other  answer.' 

Mr.  O'Connell :  '  That  is  an  exceedingly  safe  course.  I 
will  further  inquire,  then,  whether  it  is  the  intention  of  the 
right  hon.  gentleman  to  bring  forward  the  measure  here  ? ' 

Mr.  Littleton :  '  That  is  a  question  that  cannot  yet 
arise.  When  the  proper  time  arrives,  it  will  be  for  the 
Government  to  decide  as  to  its  introduction  here.  I  can 
tell  the  hon.  gentleman,  however,  that  whoever  may  bring 
the  Bill  in,  I  shall  vote  for  it.'  (Hear.) 

Mr.  O'Connell :  '  Then  I  can  only  say  that  the  right 
hon.  gentleman  has  exceedingly  deceived  me.' 

Littleton,  thus  '  cornered,'  threw  aside  all  reserve.  '  I 
have  a  plain  unvarnished  tale  to  unfold,'  he  said,  '  and  the 
result,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  may  be  that  I  shall  be 
accused  of  gross  indiscretion.' 

Both  men  were  skilled  debaters ;  strokes  fell  thick  and 
heavy;  but  a  full  report,  however  amusing,  cannot  be 
obtruded  here.  '  Hansard,'  Lord  Hatherton's  '  Memoirs,1 
and  Lord  Brougham's  '  Autobiography '  are  good  helps  in 
arriving  at  an  historic  knowledge  of  the  facts.  Grey,  as 
Lord  Campbell  says,  'had  a  childish  dislike  of  O'Connell;'3 
but  Littleton,  who  was  the  son-in-law  of  Wellesley,  saw  the 
importance  of  enlisting  him  on  the  side  of  the  Government. 

Littleton  in  the  end  resigned.  Grey  brought  forward 
the  Coercion  Act,  bristling  with  all  the  terrors  of  its  in- 
tolerable severity.  Althorp,  who  never  liked  it,  sent  in 
his  resignation.  O'Connell  brought  the  question,  as  re- 
garded the  views  of  the  Irish  Government,  to  an  issue,  by 
moving  for  the  production  of  the  correspondence  between 
Wellesley  and  the  Ministry  in  reference  to  the  proposed 
renewal  of  the  Bill;  but  this  was  refused  by  Littleton. 
The  Premier,  feeling  the  embarrassing  position  in  which  he 
now  stood,  also  resigned.  The  negotiation  with  O'Connell 
was,  he  declared,  wholly  without  his  knowledge.  So  much 
for  this  business,  which  the  biographers  of  O'Connell  ignore. 
Mr.  Fagan,  M.P.,  his  kinsman,  casually  notices  it,  no  doubt, 
but  merely  with  the  words,  '  A  squabble  with  Mr.  Littleton 
about  the  merest  trifle.' 4 

3  Life  of  Lord  Campbell,  vol.  ii.  p.  49. 

4  Fagan's  Life  and  Times  of  O'Connell,  vol.  ii.  p.  311. 


448     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xil. 


CHAPTER   XII. 


A  Note  of  Triumph  —  The  Banking  Scheme — Cadwallader  Waddy  — 
Barrett  liberated — A  Plan  to  unite  all  sections  of  Irishmen — The 
Agricultural  Bank  —  Stanley  of  Alderley — Dublin  Castle  swept  clean 
of  Orangeism — Jubilee — The  Coercion  Bill  as  renewed — Letters  inter- 
cepted— Cahircon — Effort  to  eject  Blackburne  fails — At  Oxford— Poor 
Laws  for  Ireland — Letters  to  Lord  Duncannon — Lord  Durham — Judge 
Crampton  and  the  Bribe — Sir  M.  O'Loghlen— Baron  Greene — Judge 
3?errin  —  A  grave  Indictment — A  Dilemma — Eobert  Holmes — O'Connell 
saves  a  man  from  the  Scaffold — The  Monks  of  La  Trappe — Houses  of 
Parliament  burned — Barrett's  abstracted  Mind — Ludicrous  Scene — 
Downfall  of  the  Melbourne  Ministry — Peel  and  Wellington  again — Orange 
Orgies — Lord  Haddington  Viceroy— 'G.  P.  0.' — Joseph  Hume — William 
Cobbett — Attwood — Charles  Phillips  again — An  Intrigue  at  Rome  foiled 
— A  Struggle  for  the  Speaker's  Chair — A  Bad  Fall  for  the  Tories — 
'  Victory !  Victory ! ' — Mr.  Abercromby — Peel  beaten — Terms  with  the 
Whigs — Correspondence  with  the  Home  Secretary — William  Ford — Joe 
Hume — Lord  Kenmare— O'Connell  suffers  '  Mental  Agony  ' — '  A  Eay  of 
yffbpe  ' — Eonayne  and  the  Pikes. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  8th  July,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — It  is  half  an  age  since  I  wrote 
to  you,  but  it  has  been,  as  you  may  perceive,  to  me  a 
period  of  turmoil  and  battle.  I  have  the  pleasure  to  tell 
you  that  my  triumph  over  Littleton  is  admitted  to  be  corn- 
pleat.  Indeed,  no  man  ever  got  so  compleat  a  fall  as  that 
unworthy  gentleman.1  In  addition  to  all  this  we  have  the 
final  triumph  of  Jacob  over  Galwey  and  Barren,  and  his 
being  fixed  for  Dungarvan.2  To  crown  all  comes  the  Wex- 


1  Lord  Hatherton  wrote   a  me- 
moir of  the  affair,  which  was  pub- 
lished by  Mr.  Longman  in  1872. 

2  See    the    letters    with    which 
Chapter  XI.  begins  ;  especially  letter 
of  Feb.  17,  1834. 

Galwey's  brother  became  a  sti- 
pendiary magistrate,  and  afterwards 
held  an  official  post  in  Dublin  Castle. 


From  the  turmoil  of  battle  it  is 
pleasant  to  turn  to  brighter  traits 
in  the  combatants.  Pierce  George 
Barron  was  famous  for  his  power 
of  convivial  indulgence.  On  being 
appointed  to  a  resident  magistracy 
in  Mayo  he  found  a  genial  neigh- 
bour in  Joseph  Miles  McDonnell  of 
Doo  Castle,  also  celebrated  in  the 


1834 


A  NEW  BANK 


449 


ford  victory  :  the  victory  of  the  honest  and  true  men  of 
Wexford.3 

There  has  also  been  a  bye-battle  upon  the  subject  of  a 
new  bank.  This  has  been  for  a  great  while  a  subject  of 
anxious  speculation  with  me.  I  have  sensibly  felt  the  want 
of  a  counter-check  to  the  rascality  of  the  Bank  of  Ireland 
and  of  the  Provincial  Bank.  You  know  that  they  play  into 
the  hands  of  the  Anti-Irish  party.  I  want  a  mutual  friend 
at  the  other  side.4 

My  plan  has  been,  and  is,  to  get  one  million  subscribed 
in  London.  Until  that  is  done  no  operations  are  to  take 
place  in  Ireland.  The  million  here  is  to  be  in  aid  of  Irish 
subscriptions.  Whenever  a  sum  large  enough  to  establish 
a  branch  bank  in  any  locality  is  subscribed  the  London 
managers  will  double  the  amount. 

Of  course  we  will  require  the  utmost  circumspection 
and  vigilance,  and  it  is  of  course  that  if  we  succeed  it  will 
be  my  anxious  study  that  you,  your  brother  and  brother-in- 
law,  should  participate  in  that  success.  Of  this  we  will 
talk  when  the  time  approaches.  There  will  be  a  bill  of 
mine  for  £300  due  the  27th  inst.  to  Burke  of  Cork.  He 
will  renew  any  part  of  it  you  choose.  I  long  to  hear  of 
Barrett's  liberation,  and  though  I  should  be  glad  to  save 


same  line.  A  bet  was  made  as  to 
which  should  out-drink  the  other. 
A  number  of  boon  companions 
assembled  to  witness  the  feat,  all  of 
whom  gradually  dropped  away  as 
morning  approached ;  but  one  man 
having  returned  for  his  snuff-box, 
which  he  had  inadvertently  left 
behind,  a  striking  tableau  met  his 
eye :  McDonnell's  foot  rested  on 
Barren's  prostrate  body,  while  the 
right  arm  of  the  victor  triumphantly 
held  aloft  a  bumper  of  whisky 
punch. 

3  A  vacancy  occurred  in  the 
representation  of  Wexford  county  by 
Shapland  Carew  being  created  a  peer. 
Maurice  O'Connell  writes  to  Fitz- 
Patrick  on  June  25,  1834  :— '  My 
father  desires  me  say  that  sooner 
than  have  no  Eepealer,  Waddy 

VOL.  I. 


should  be  supported  for  the  County 
Wexford.'  Waddy,  however,  held 
the  seat  for  merely  a  few  months, 
having  been  succeeded  in  1835  by 
Mr.  (afterwards  Sir)  James  Power. 

4  O'Connell  was  the  father  of 
'  The  National  Bank.'  For  many 
years  it  was  familiarly  known  as 
'  O'Connell's  Bank.'  His  colleagues 
now  recognised  the  somewhat  ano- 
malous character  of  his  position. 
Three  years  before  he  had  urged  a 
run  on  the  banks  for  gold.  It  was 
now  felt  that  a  man  leading  the 
masses  in  a  struggle  to  grasp  their 
rights  should  be  free  from  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  a  monetary  system, 
of  which  the  great  principle  is  to 
leave  things  as  they  are  and  avoid 
the  risks  attendant  on  social  disturb- 
ance. 

G  G 


450     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON  NELL    OH.  xn. 

my  £100,  yet  I  would  prefer  that  Barrett  should  not  be 
under  any  compliment  to  that  '  old  foozle '  of  a  scoundrel. 

I  have  no  news  to  tell  you.  Let  the  Pilot  never 
publish  a  letter  of  mine  until  it  has  gone  the  round  of  other 
papers.  .  .  . 

To  Richard  Barrett. 

London  :  Friday  [July,  1834]. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  write  to  congratulate  you  on  your 
regaining  your  liberty ;  to  thank  you  for  having  sacrificed 
that  Liberty  to  me.  Believe  me,  I  never  can  forget  the 
generosity  and  the  firmness  with  which  you  made  that 
sacrifice,  nor  shall  it  ever  be  less  kindly  felt  until  I  have  an 
opportunity — if  I  ever  have  an  opportunity — of  proving  my 
gratitude  by  deeds,  not  by  words. 

There  is  little  to  be  known  as  yet,5  and  still,  before  the 
post  goes  out,  something  will  be  half  decided.  It  is  suffi- 
ciently clear  that  neither  Melbourne  nor  Brougham,  nor  both 
together,  can  make  a  Ministry.  It  is  also  quite  certain  that 
the  present  parliament  will  not  endure  a  Tory  Administra- 
tion ;  and  as  to  a  dissolution,  the  most  favourable  view  of 
its  result  would  not  give  the  Tories  more  than  200  members 
of  the  House  of  Commons,  and  with  such  a  force — not  one 
third  of  the  House — it  would  be  impossible  to  carry  on  the 
government. 

The  King  wished  Lord  Melbourne  to  make  up  an  Ad- 
ministration consisting  of  Brougham,  Stanley,  and  Peel, 
with  their  adherents,  but  he  has  been  distinctly  informed 
'  that  it  was  impossible.'  It  is  now  said  that  he  sent  for 
Peel.  I  cannot  vouch  for  the  truth,  but  I  am  quite  sure 
Peel  cannot  venture  to  form  a  Cabinet.  If  it  wrere  to  be 
formed  it  should  be  so  simply  on  the  principle  '  that  the 
Irish  Church  should  be  preserved  in  all  its  integrity  of  wealth 
and  infltience,'  and  this  principle  would  be  an  exceedingly 
dangerous  one  to  stand  on  as  a  ground  for  hoping  a  suc- 
cessful result  in  the  event  of  a  dissolution  of  Parliament. 
It  must  also  be  recollected  that  the  Appropriation  Bills 
have  not  as  yet  been  passed,  so  that  a  Tory  Administration 

5  Lord  Grey  had  announced  his  resignation  on  July  9. 


1834  '  THE   GAME  IN  HIS  HANDS'  451 

would  be  totally  unable  to  go  on  until  there  was  a  new 
parliament. 

Upon  the  whole,  my  own  opinion  is,  that  there  will  be 
no  Ministry  save  one  under  the  auspices  of  Lord  Althorp, 
founded  on  much  more  liberal  principles  than  the  last. 
But  even  if  the  Tories  came  in  they  could  not  stand  three 
months,  and  their  discomfiture  would  give  a  still  more 
Liberal  Government. 

In  the  mean  time  it  is  quite  certain  that  the  dexterity 
with  which  the  Ministry  endeavoured  to  deceive  me  has 
been  their  ruin.  It  was  I,  in  fact,  that  turned  out  the  Ad- 
ministration. I  get  this  credit  from  every  body;  and  if  the 
next  be  not  better  we  will  turn  that  out  also.  From  the 
moment  Littleton  told  me  that  Lord  Wellesley  and  he  him- 
self were  adverse  to  the  Coercion  Bill,  the  game  was  in  my 
hands  if  I  did  not  throw  it  away.  Unless  I  gave  personal 
cause  to  alter  their  determination,  they  could  not  possibly 
carry  a  Bill  which  on  the  20th  of  June  they  communicated 
to  me  was  in  their  judgment  unnecessary.  My  victory  is 
therefore  admitted  by  every  body  to  be  complete,  and  its 
ultimate  results  will,  I  think,  be  eminently  useful  to  Ire- 
land. We  are  on  the  way  from  a  half  Whig,  half  Tory 
Government  to  one  half  Kadical,  half  Whig,  without  the 
slightest  admixture  of  Toryism.6  The  moment  such  a 
Ministry  is  formed  there  will  be  a  famous  turning  off"  in 
Ireland.  The  Attorney-General 7  will  certainly  be  dismissed, 
and  the  entire  Orange  clique  will  go  with  him. 

There  is  a  powerfully  signed  address  from  members  of 
Parliament  to  Lord  Althorp  to  encourage  him  to  undertake 
the  office  of  Prime  Minister.  If  he  did  so  all  would  be  well. 
He  would  take  care  to  remove  the  Orangeists  from  power  in 
Ireland,  and  it  would  be  the  most  severe  blow  that  faction 
ever  got  to  have  a  Premier  decided  in  his  opposition  to  the 
continuance  of  unnecessary  tithes;  and,  in  short,  to  the 
whole  system  of  misrule  in  Ireland.  Besides,  it  was  first 
Stanley  and  then  Lord  Grey  who  were  the  prominent 
supporters  of  the  Orange  faction  in  Ireland ;  Stanley  from 

6  A  true  prophecy.  '  Mr.  Francis  Blackburne. 

G  a  2 


452     COERESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    OH.  xn. 

his  own  natural  virulence  and  bigotry,  and  poor  old  Lord 
Grey  from  his  foolish  and  envenomed  prejudice  against 
every  thing  Irish.    We  should  be  in  the  highest  spirits.    It 
can  only  operate  for  good  to  the  people  of  Ireland. 
Ever  faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

6  o'clock. — No  further  news  ;  it  is  not  true  that  the  King 
sent  for  Peel.  I  myself  believe  that  Lord  Althorp  will 
have  the  formation  of  the  Cabinet. 

Lord  Althorp  succeeded  in  the  ensuing  autumn  to  the 
Earldom  of  Spencer,  and  thenceforth  his  attention  was 
given  rather  to  agriculture  than  to  statesmanship. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  16th  July,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  enclose  you  a  document  which 
I  wish  you  to  copy,  and  then  give  the  original  to  Sheehan 8 
to  read.  Leave  it  with  him  if  he  asks  you,  but  preserve 
the  copy.  I  have  thought  this  the  best  time  to  recom- 
mence a  treaty  for  a  reconciliation  between  Irishmen.  If 
the  Orange  party  be  not  quite  blind  they  must  see  that 
they  have  not  the  slightest  chance  of  returning  into  power : 
their  day  as  a  dominant  party  is  at  an  end,  and  if  they 
knew  the  proper  time  to  make  a  satisfactory  arrangement 
with  their  countrymen  for  obtaining  the  restoration  of  the 
Irish  parliament  they  would  see  that  this  is  the  critical 
moment.  It  would  probably  have  been  too  soon  some 
time  ago.  It  will,  I  fear,  shortly  be  too  late.  Indeed,  my 
own  opinion  is  fast  forming  that  it  is  not  possible  to  con- 
ciliate the  Orangeists.  But  I  feel  it  a  duty  to  try.  Tell 
Sheehan  candidly  what  my  notions  on  this  subject  are — 
that  there  are  too  many  truculent  persons  of  his  party  to 
expect  that  common  sense  or  even  a  common  interest 
should  be  available  to  produce  a  community  of  exertion. 
No,  the  Orangeists  have  been  too  long  masters  to  expect 
that  for  the  present  generation  they  should  submit  willingly 
8  The  Orange  editor  of  the  Dublin  Mail. 


1834  BASIS   OF  A  NEW  ALLIANCE  453 

to  an  equality  of  rights ;  and  yet  they  must  submit  per- 
force, for  the  Government  of  this  country  is  now  too  demo- 
cratic to  allow  the  Irish  ascendancy  to  remain  in  power  any 
longer. 

I  write  so  fully9  to  Barrett  that  I  will  say  no  more  but 
that  I  am,  in  great  spirits, 

I  may  just  give  you  a  summary. 

1st.  Ministry  all  arranged. 

2d.  Lord  Duncannon  Home  Department. 

3d.  Lord  Wellesley  remains. 

4.  Hobhouse,  Woods  and  Forests. 

5th.  Decided  change  in  the  underlings  in  Ireland. 

The  following  is  the  document  which  O'Connell  wished 
FitzPatrick  to  submit  to  Sheehan,  the  Orange  journalist : — 

Basis  of  an  Arrangement  to  combine  Persons  of  all  Persua- 
sions l  in  Ireland  in  Defence  of  their  Common  Country, 
and  for  the  Repeal  of  the  Union. 

1st.  Every  thing  to  be  done  by  and  on  the  part  of 
Catholics  to  secure  to  the  fullest  extent  the  rights  and 
properties  of  the  Protestants,  upon  the  footing  of  perfect 
and  perpetual  equality. 

2d.  The  Protestants  to  suggest  all  such  measures  as 
they  may  deem  necessary  or  useful  to  carry  the  first  pro- 
position into  effect. 

3d.  All  Eibbon  associations  to  be  put  down  and  pro- 
hibited by  law,  and  the  punishment  for  infraction  of  such 
law  to  be  summary,  and  sufficient  to  ensure  its  being 
effectual. 

4th.  The  Orange  institution  to  be  dissolved  so  soon  as 
it  was  certain  that  all  Kibbon  societies  were  suppressed. 

5th.  The  vested  interests  of  the  existing  incumbents  of 
the  Protestant  Church  to  be  carefully  and  entirely  preserved. 

6th.  Upon  the  decease  of  each  incumbent  the  successor 
to  derive  no  support  from  the  State. 

9  See  previous  letter. 

1  See  p.  457,  where  he  says  that  the  Treaty  is  at  an  end. 


454     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

7th.  Subject  to  vested  interests,  each  persuasion  to 
maintain  its  own  clergy. 

8th.  The  Legislature  not  to  have  power  to  create, 
restore,  or  endow  any  dominant  Church.  This  power  is 
taken  away  by  the  constitution  of  the  United  States. 

9th.  The  most  distinct  principles  to  be  the  perfect  free- 
dom of  conscience,  and  an  equality  of  civil  rights,  for  all 
sects  and  persuasions,  now  and  for  ever. 

10th.  Absenteeism  to  constitute  a  crime,  and  the  ex- 
penditure in  Ireland  of  a  certain  portion  of  the  income  of 
each  landed  proprietor  to  be  enforced  by  Law. 

Such  are  the  principles  on  which  I  should  suggest  a 
combination  of  Irishmen  for  Ireland,  preserving  the  alle- 
giance to  the  Crown  unbroken,  as  well  as  the  connection 
with  Great  Britain,  but  seeking  for  domestic  legislation 
upon  the  terms  of  similar  protection  and  rights  to  all. 

DANIEL  O'CoNNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  17th  July,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Nothing  further  as  to  the 
Ministry,  nor  is  there  to  be.  All  is  closed.  We  shall  see 
what  Lord  Duncannon 2  will  do  in  clearing  out  in  Ireland. 
To  this  I  direct  my  immediate  attention.  I  will  see 

Lord  D as  soon  as  possible,  and  if  a  spoke  be  not  put 

in  Master  Blackburne's 3  wheel  it  will  not  be  my  fault. 

I  have  not  been  in  the  way  of  hearing  details,  but  I 
believe  Mr.  Bonham  Carter  has  refused  the  Secretaryship 
of  Ireland.  This  would  confirm  the  notion  of  Littleton's 
promotion  to  the  Peerage.4  At  all  events  we  have  made  a 
distinct  step  in  advance  and  left  Toryism  behind.  You 
may  rely  on  it  that  I  will  make  the  best  use  I  can,  for 
Ireland,  of  the  present  conjunction,  and,  if  possible,  pledge 
the  present  Ministry  to  a  lay  appropriation  of  any  funds  to 
be  raised  in  lieu  of  Tithes.  This,  you  know,  will  be  a  de- 

2  Afterwards  Earl  of  Bessborough.  3  The  Attorney-General  for  Ire- 
He  died  in  the  Viceroyalty  of  Ire-  land. 

land,  May  16, 1847.     O'Connell  died  4  Mr.  Edward  J.Littleton  became 

on  the  previous  day.  Lord  Hatherton  in  1835. 


1834  THE   COEBCION  BILL  AGAIN  455 

claration  that  there  shall  be  no  more  parsons  paid  where 
there  are  not  Protestants  to  constitute  a  flock — and  this 
will  be  the  first  great  step  to  liberate  Ireland  from  sup- 
porting a  Church  not  of  the  people.  .  .  . 

I  am  decided  for  giving  a  public  dinner  to  Barrett.  It 
is  merely  a  question  of  time.  Do  not  hurry  it.  I  ought 
to  be  in  the  chair ;  and  it  should  be  so  arranged  as  to  give 
a  fillip  to  the  Pilot.5  Let  me  know  when  you  think  it  ought 
to  be. 

The  reports  here  are  that  the  cholera  is  again  very 
violent  in  Dublin.  Let  me  know  without  disguise  the  real 
state  of  things. 

Since  I  began  writing  this  letter  I  learn  that  Littleton 
is  to  remain  in  office  until  the  close  of  this  Session.  You 
will  see  everything  else  which  can  be  known  in  the  second 
editions  of  the  evening  papers.  It  is  well  to  be  rid  of 
Lord  Grey  as  Premier,  he  never  would  consent  to  do  any 
good  to  Ireland. 

Believe  me  always,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  19th  July,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — .  .  .  The  papers  contain  all  that 
we  know.  It  is  a  bad  symptom  that  both  Lord  Wellesley 
and  Littleton  remain  in  office.6  The  truth  is  that  the 
English  Ministry  cannot  do  justice  to  Ireland.  I  will, 
notwithstanding  what  has  occurred  last  night,  give  Black- 
bur  ne  a  shove  yet. 

The  Coercion  Bill,  as  the  Ministers  bring  it  in,  is  free 
from  political  defects.  It  will  leave  us  to  act  as  we  please 
in  undisturbed  districts.  That  is,  all  political  Unions  can 
take  place  again.  We  will,  I  suppose,  have  some  men  silly 
enough  to  attempt  to  revive  the  '  Trades  Political  Union,' 
but  if  so,  I  certainly  will  oppose  its  revival,  if  it  were  to  do 
me  the  greatest  possible  mischief  personally  to  take  that 

5  Barrett's  newspaper.  6  As  Viceroy  and  Chief  Secretary. 


456     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xn. 

course.    I  care  not,  because  I  am  convinced  that  Union  can 
do  nothing  but  mischief  to  the  public  cause. 

I  made  a  sensation  last  night — much  greater  than  one 
could  suppose  from  the  papers.7  A  good  report,  however, 
could  be  made  out  by  mixing  up  that  in  The  Times  with 
that  hi  the  Chronicle. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  22d  July,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — No  news  at  present.  The 
Ministry  working  on  without  much  energy ;  but  I  still  hope 
for  better  days  and  better  things. 

Inquire  at  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  whether  they  get 
regularly  the  parliamentary  papers  I  send  them.  It  is  im- 
possible at  present  to  get  them  in  any  other  way  save  in 
the  name  of  a  member,  but  it  has  the  advantage  that  it 
costs  them  nothing. 

You  must  give  Barrett  £50  which  I  got  for  him  from 
Philadelphia.  If  he  intends  to  come  over  let  him  come  at 
once,  as  the  Session  draws  to  a  close.  The  Coercion  Bill 
is  clear  of  all  interference  with  political  meetings  save  in 
'  disturbed,'  that  is,  proclaimed  districts.  I  divided  against 
its  second  reading  last  night  on  account  of  two  harsh 
clauses,  but  which  relate  only  to  disturbed  districts.  The 
Bill  will  be  got  through  with  all  convenient  speed.  I  have 
then  only  the  Tithe  Bill  to  detain  me  here.  I  \vant  a 
couple  of  months  in  Iveragh,  and  then  for  quiet  and  deter- 
mined agitation  again.  More  of  this  hereafter. 

How  can  D.  countenance  the  wild  scheme  of  '  the 
Agricultural '  Bank,  especially  in  that  wicked  humbug 
that  it  can  limit  individual  liability?  It  would  be  a 
gross  deception  on  the  public  even  if  that  were  true,  because 
it  might  throw  3  millions  of  notes  in  circulation  after  J25 
per  cent,  were  paid  up,  and  then,  according  to  their  notion, 
there  would  be  no  funds  for  payment  of  one  single  note. 

1  On  Lord  Althorp's  motion  for  permission  to  bring  in  a  Bill  to  amend 
and  renew  the  Coercion  Act. 


1834  AN  IRRECONCILABLE   PARTY  457 

Hart  is  totally  unmanageable.  He  has  thrown  away  an 
opportunity  of  having  a  provision  made  for  him.  I  cannot 
help  him,  and  you  may  pledge  yourself  that  I  can  shew  that 
the  fault  is  exclusively  his  own. 

Young  Stanley,  of  Cheshire,8  who  is  Under  Secretary  to 
Lord  Duncannon,  is  a  friend  of  mine,  and  does  not  par- 
ticipate in  the  politics  of  his  namesake.  He  will,  I  think, 
be  useful  to  Ireland. 

I  am  sorry  you  did  not  communicate  with  Sheehan  as 
I  asked  you.  The  time  presses  for  my  declaring  that  there 
can  be  no  more  treaty  with  that  IREECONCILEABLE  party. 
Why,  then,  did  you  delay  my  communication  ?  I  do  not 
want  or  care  for  secrecy,  although  I  should  not  desire  pub- 
lication. If  it  comes,  let  it  come  from  him.  At  the  same 
time  I  would  have  you  tell  him  that  on  our  parts  we  bind 
ourselves  to  secrecy  as  long  as  he  or  his  friends  may  desire. 
INDEED,  I  am  sorry  you  delayed  my  communication. — 
Believe  me  to  be, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  26th  July,  1834. 

...  I  have  the  pleasure  to  tell  you  that  at  present 
there  appears  to  be  the  strongest  reasons  to  hope  that 
Orangeism  will  be  swept  clean  out  of  the  Castle  and  its 
precincts.  Do  not  let  this  get  into  the  newspapers,  but 
expect  better  times. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  31st  July,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — 

'  And  we'll  plant  a  laurel  tree, 
And  we'll  call  it  "  Victory,"  ' 

Said  the  Shan  Van  Vocht.9 

You  will  have    read  with  some   pleasure   that  I  have 

8  The   Right    Hon.  Edward    J.  s  Anglicd,  the  poor  old  woman  : 

Stanley,   M.P.  for  North  Cheshire,  a  rebel  song  composed  in  1796,  when 

eldest  son  of  Lord  Stanley  of  Alder-  the  French  fleet  was  in  Bantry  Bay. 
ley,  Chester.     Born  1802. 


458     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn 

achieved  two  victories — the  first,  in  abolishing  the  claims 
of  the  parsons  for  all  arrears ;  the  second,  striking  off  at 
one  fell  blow  £268,000  a  year  from  the  tithe  burthen — that 
is,  f-ths  of  the  entire — '  pour  commencer,'  as  they  say  at 
Paris.  And  I  see  no  reason  why  more  of  the  same  dose 
may  not  be  useful  for  the  next  draft .  I  think  we  may  thus 
indeed  wait  awhile. 

I  want  to  be  out  of  this  as  rapidly  as  I  possibly  can,  and 
only  await  a  remittance  from  you.  I  would  be  glad  of  as 
much  as  £400.  If  you  deem  it  necessary,  send  me  a  stamp 
for  the  money,  and  I  will  send  you  my  name  and  so  raise 
the  money,  at  three  or  four  months,  but  I  will  want  the 
£400  NET.  Do  not  delay  to  let  me  hear  from  you.  Write 
on  Saturday  without  fail.  I  believe  I  have  little  cause  of 
delay  besides  hearing  from  you.  This  is  a  good  winding 
up  of  the  Session.  If  I  can  help  it  I  will  go  at  once  to 
Darrynane  and  address  my  constituents  thence  ;  that  is,  I 
will  go  by  Waterford ;  but  do  not  speak  of  this.  I  must 

Yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Barrett's  dinner  will  do  better  when  I  come  back  to 
Dublin. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  4th  August,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  got  your  letter  this  morning, 
shewing  your  usual  promptitude  and  attention.  I  never 
was  disappointed  in  you.  The  draft  for  £400  has  come  in 
most  convenient  time.  I  enclose  you  two  bills  on  Maurice 
as  you  desire — £250  and  £400.  He  is  gone  off  yesterday 
for  his  father-in-law's  in  the  County  of  Clare.  Write  to 
him,  enclosing  these  bills  for  his  acceptance.  Seal  the 
letter  both  with  wafer  and  wax,  so  that  it  may  not  be 
surreptitiously  opened.  This  precaution  may  be  unneces- 
sary, but  must  be  harmless.1 

1  O'Connell  may  have  suspected,  that  warrants  had  been  obtained  by 
but  is  not  likely  to  have  then  known,  Lord  Wellesley  and  Secretary  Little- 


1834 


459 


If  the  dinner  to  Barrett  could  be  effectually  got  up  for 
Monday  I  would  gladly  preside  at  it  on  that  day ;  but  if  you 
find  any  difficulty  in  getting  it  up  as  it  ought  to  be  in  so  short 
a  period  as  from  Wednesday,  you  will  allow  it  to  lie  over 
till  November,  as  I  must  leave  Dublin  on  Tuesday.  The 
Custom  House  burning 2  is  in  abeyance;  that  is,  we  are 
waiting  for  more  documents,  which  have  been  promised  at 
the  Treasury,  and  are  to  decide  our  course.  The  Govern- 
ment offer  to  try  the  question  with  us  on  the  point  of  whether 
Donlevy  or  Wallace  were  guilty  of  wilful  neglect  of  duty  by 
which  any  goods  were  lost.  I  confess  it  appears  to  me  that, 
as  to  Donlevy,  his  wilful  neglect  is  beyond  any  doubt.  If 
we  get  a  verdict  on  this  point  the  Government  will  make 
good  the  full  loss.  In  short,  to-morrow  will  decide,  and  I 
certainly  entertain  the  strongest  hope  that  every  shilling 
will  be  repaid  the  sufferers.  I,  indeed,  would  give  up  my 
profession  for  ever  if  an  honest  jury  did  not  give  me  a 
verdict,  the  point  appears  to  me  so  clear.  It  will  be  tried 
in  the  King's  Bench  in  November.  I  am  quite  ready  to  be 
counsel  in  the  cause,  and  in  the  meantime  I  am  doing  all 
I  can  in  my  Parliamentary  function. 

I  entertain  strong  hopes  still  of  a  change  of  officials  in 
Ireland. 

Direct  to  Maurice  at  the  house  of  Bindon  Scott,  Esq., 
Cahircon,3  near  Kildysart,  co.  Clare. 

Yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


ton,  at  this  very  time,  for  the  clan- 
destine examination  of  suspected 
correspondence  as  it  passed  through 
the  General  Post  Office,  Dublin.  In 
1832  Lord  Anglesey  applied  for  and 
obtained  a  similar  warrant,  and  the 
practice  was  continued  under  succes- 
sive Governments.  The  mode  of 
opening  the  letters  was  by  steaming 
and  softening  the  seals.  These  facts 
were  brought  to  light  in  1844  by  a 
Parliamentary  Committee  of  investi- 
gation. An  outcry  had  been  raised 
by  the  discovery  that  Mazzini's 
letters  were  opened  under  the  aus- 
pices of  Sir  James  Graham,  when 


Postmaster-General.  Spring  Eice, 
in  letters  to  Lord  Melbourne,  com- 
plains that  his  correspondence  had 
been  tampered  with  by  Orange  clerks 
at  the  Dublin  Post  Office. 

2  Vide  note  to  letter  of  March  7, 
1834. 

3  The    grandly    picturesque   de- 
mesne  of    Cahircon    shared,    some 
years  later,  the  vicissitudes  that  have 
marked  the  history  of  many  similar 
places.     On  the  appointment  of  the 
Hon.  Charles  White  as  Lord  Lieu- 
tenant of  Clare  a  Parliamentary  out- 
cry was   raised   that  he  owned  no 
lands    in    that    county.     Cahircon 


460     COBBE8PONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xn. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  5th  August,  1834. 

I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  I  cannot  leave  London  until 
we  ascertain  what  the  Lords  will  do  with  my  Tithe  Bill. 
Indeed,  it  has  been  communicated  to  me  that  it  was 
expected  that  I  should  remain.  .  .  . 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  6th  Aug.  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  write  merely  to  say  that  I 
have  nothing  to  tell.  I  remain  until  it  is  decided  whether 
or  not  the  scoundrel  Lords  will  dare  to  throw  out  or  castrate 
my  glorious  Tithe  Bill. 

I  succeeded  last  night,  for  the  distillers,  in  taking  off  the 
duty  from  the  1st  of  September  instead  of  the  10th  of 
October. 

I  write  from  the  House,  and  in  a  great  hurry  and  in 
great  spirits.  I  made  two  very  successful  speeches  last 
night.  I  will  write  to  you  every  day  until  I  can  set  off. 
Ask  Barrett  will  he  come  down  to  see  a  mountain  hunt 
again  before  the  close  of  this  month. 

Yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Tell  Barrett  that  the  comfort  of  Darrynane  is  only  when 
the  Lady  is  there,  as  she  intends  this  season. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  Friday,  August  8,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  believe  my  plans  are  settled. 
I  have  fixed  to  go  off  to-morrow  morning  and  to  sleep  at 
Oxford.  Thus  I  will  not  be  able  to  reach  Dublin  before 
Wednesday. 

I  enclose  you  the  memorandum  which  Mr.  Haliday 
gave  me  from  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  to  make  up  their  set 

happening  to   be    in    the    market,      place  has  since   passed  out  of   his 
Captain  White  bought  it ;  but  the       hands. 


1834      EFFORT   TO  EJECT  BLACKBURNE  FAILS        461 

of  parliamentary  papers.  I  submitted  it  to  the  Speaker,  who 
wrote  in  pencil  the  words  at  foot.  Lest  they  should  be 
obliterated  I  copy  them  :  '  If  the  gentlemen  would  name  by 
numbers  the  papers  they  wish  for  I  shall  be  ready  to  attend  to 
their  wishes  as  far  as  I  am  able. — C.M.S.' 

There  is  as  yet  no  intelligence  as  to  what  the  Lords  will 
do.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  not  to  trouble  myself  about 
the  decision  of  the  scoundrels.  I  will  not  vote  more  money 
to  Parsons.  I  have  done  more  for  them  than  any  other 
member,  and  now  I  leave  the  Ministry  and  the  Lords  to 
battle  as  they  please. — In  haste, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Oxford :  9th  August,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  have  arrived  here  from  London 
this  day  on  my  way  to  Ireland.  The  fact  of  Barrett's 
dinner  being  postponed  makes  me  indifferent  as  to  going  to 
Dublin,  and  the  state  of  cholera  in  that  town,  as  repre- 
sented in  your  letter,  makes  me  unwilling  to  go  there.  My 
present  intention  is  to  go  by  Milford  and  Waterford.  .  .  . 

How  little  you  know  of  me,  either  you  or  Barrett,  when 
you  think  that  any  public  meeting  could  embarrass  me  ! 
The  fact  is,  the  Ministry  are  not  entitled  in  any  shape  to 
any  support  from  me  but  such  as  they  may  merit  on  grounds 
universally  public.  I  failed  in  persuading  them  to  turn 
away  Blackburne,  and  I,  therefore,  for  the  present  leave 
them  to  themselves.  But  for  me  the  reversions  in  the 
Crown  would  not  have  been  given  up.  I  had  a  hard  battle 
for  it. 

Yours  most  truly, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Oxford  :  August  10th,  1834. 

I  have  been  so  convinced  by  your  letter  of  the  unhappy 
state  of  Dublin,  that,  having  no  political  business  there,  I 


462     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON NELL     CH.  xn. 

have  determined  to  take  my  family  by  Cheltenham  and 
Waterford.  I  go  to  Cheltenham  this  day.  We  have  heard 
Mass  here. 

See  Barrett,  and  beg  of  him  to  come  down  to  me  as 
early  as  he  can.  I  hope  next  week,  as  I  intend  to  be  in 
Darrynane  this  day  week.  The  sooner  he  comes  to  me  the 
better,  as  I  want  to  talk  to  him  about  politics.  ...  I  will 
publish  a  manifesto  immediately  after  my  arrival,  and  will 
make  all  my  arrangements  for  quiet  steady  agitation  imme- 
diately. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Waterford  :  August  18th,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Here  I  am  after  a  slow  but  not 
unpleasant  journey.  I  remain  here  to  a  public  dinner  this 
day.  My  intention  is  to  go  on  to-morrow  to  Cork;  on 
Sunday  to  Killarney ;  to  my  mountains  on  Monday.  .  .  . 
All  is  going  politically  well.  What  an  example  of  agitation 
the  Conservatives  are  showing  us !  How  grateful  ought 
I  not  be  to  the  House  of  Lords ! 4  I  was  their  theme 
and  only  argument.  But  that  rascal  the  Marquis  of 
Downshire,  what  a  fellow  he  was  to  attend  such  a  meeting ! 
Bravo !  they  have  set  us  the  example,  which  I  do  believe  we 
will  follow. 

My  letter  on  the  National  Bank  will  appear  in  the  Pilot 
on  Monday,  and  I  intend  to  have  at  least  one  letter  a  week 
in  that  paper  until  I  go  up  in  November. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey :   Sunday  night,  25  Augt.  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  send  off  an  Express  for  Cahir- 
civeen  to  put  this  and  five  letters  for  the  Pilot  into  the 
office,  so  as  to  reach  Dublin  on  Wednesday.  I  beg  of  you, 
as  Barrett  will  be  out  of  town,  to  read  the  proof  yourself, 
and  to  take  the  greatest  care  to  have  my  letter  accurately 

4  The  Tory  Peers,  headed  by  the       O'Connell's  Tithe  Bill  by  a  majority 
Dukes  of  Cumberland  and  Welling-       of  67. 
ton,  had,  on  August  11,  thrown  out 


1834  COUNSELS  NON-PAYMENT   OF   TITHE  463 

printed.  You  will  see  that  I  spurn  the  Idea  of  conciliating 
the  Orange  faction. 

The  porter  arrived  before  me,  and  is  the  very  best  Irish 
porter  I  ever  tasted.  Your  brewer  is  admirable ;  I  hope  to 
live  to  see  you  able  to  take  him  into  partnership  in  the  first 
porter  brewery  in  Ireland,  for  such  yours  ought  to  be. 
The  only  thing  I  fear  is  your  not  being  able  to  aiford  such 
porter  at  selling  prices.  It  is  really  superlative. 

I  have  a  difficult  card  to  play,  but  I  believe  I  can  play 
it.  The  Kepealers  will,  I  hope,  see  the  propriety  of  allowing 
the  Tithe  question  to  take  precedence. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  27th  August,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — There  is  something  in  the  con- 
tentiousness of  last  year  more  stimulant  than  in  the  acqui- 
escence of  the  present ;  and  perhaps  general  approbation 
may  be  followed  by  neglect.  We  shall  see ;  and  yet  it 
would  be  a  pity  that  Ireland  did  not  afford  me  one  more 
opportunity  to  be  of  service. 

I  got  the  Tithe  Acts,  and  will  soon  publish  at  length  the 
details  of  the  DEFECTS  in  the  present  legal  power  of  the 
Parsons.  I  am  afraid  to  do  so  until  near  the  1st  of 
November,  for  legal  reasons. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  if  the  people  generally,  and  in 
particular  the  Presbyterians  of  the  North,  resist  the  pay- 
ment of  tithes  this  year  generally,  they  will  be  abolished 
or  much  reduced  in  the  next  Session.  The  Bill  rejected  by 
the  Lords  will  certainly  pass  unless  there  be  an  acquiescence 
in  the  payment.  I  am  deeply  anxious  to  know  how  the 
people  will  act.  You  know,  however,  that  it  is  criminal  to 
advise  people  not  to  pay  tithes  or  to  combine  for  non-pay- 
ment, but  each  man  separately  and  by  himself  may  refuse 
to  pay,  and  not  be  liable  criminally  to  any  prosecution. 

The  power  of  distraining  for  tithes  is  now  very  limited. 
The  land  occupied  by  any  tenant  from  year  to  year,  or  by 
any  lessee  by  a  lease  made  since  the  16th  of  August, 


464     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

1832,  cannot  be  distrained,  no  matter  whether  the  cattle 
or  goods  belong  to  such  tenant  or  not.  Thus  there  are 
secure  spots  from  distraint  in  abundance.  Neither  can 
any  person  be  distrained  for  more  than  one  year's  composi- 
tion, even  if  the  person  seized  in  fee  and  liable  to  the  tithes 
holds  the  lands  in  his  own  occupation. 

But  the  impulse  should  be  given  by  the  establishment 
of  County  Liberal  clubs,  and  Liberal  clubs  in  every  town. 
Parochial  meetings  to  get  up  petitions  for  the  abolition  of 
tithes  should  also  be  held  as  speedily  and  as  numerously 
as  possible.  It  is  of  vital  importance  that  a  great  stir 
should  be  made  as  soon  as  possible  to  shew  the  determina- 
tion of  the  people  universally  to  get  rid  of  the  blood-stained 
impost  of  tithes.  I  am  greatly  inclined  to  confine  the 
agitation  as  much  as  can  be  to  the  Tithe  question.  If  we 
could  but  get  an  universal  expression  of  detestation  of 
tithes  it  would  secure  our  victory  in  the  next  Session. 

The  Corporate  Eeform  will  be  the  first  measure  of  that 
Session.  The  present  Ministry  must  carry  that  measure  ; 
and  what  a  blow  it  will  be  to  the  late  ascendant  party ! 
Believe  me  that,  if  I  can  manage  the  Irish  people  during 
the  present  vacation,  we  will  be  able  to  defeat  the  Conser- 
ative  party  in  the  Lords  and  to  advance  all  the  interests 
of  the  Irish  people.  Every  man  will  be  at  liberty  to  con- 
tribute to  the  support  of  any  religion  he  chooses,  without 
being  compelled  to  contribute  to  one  which  he  does  not 
choose.  In  short,  I  never  could  entertain  strong  hopes  for 
Ireland  until  now;  and  now,  blessed  be  God  !  I  am  buoyant 
with  the  expectation  of  crushing  faction  and  producing  solid 
advantages  for  the  people  of  Ireland. 

Let  me  hear  from  you  regularly  on  your  tour.  I  know 
you  will  be  an  accurate  reporter  of  all  you  see  and  hear.  I 
would  be  glad  to  know  particularly  the  private  opinion  of 
the  Catholic  clergy  on  the  subject  of  Glebes  and  Manses. 
In  short,  I  desire  to  know  the  state  of  the  public  mind  as  it 
really  is. — Believe  me  always, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


1834  LOED  DUNG  ANN  ON  AGAIN  465 

Lord  Duncannon  had  now  become  a  very  important 
personage.  Besides  being  Home  Secretary  he  was  called 
to  the  House  of  Lords.  Those  who  best  knew  this  active 
legislator  describe  him  as  wholly  free  from  vanity,  and 
possessing,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  sound  sense  and  accu- 
rate information.  O'Connell  knew  the  sort  of  man  with 
whom  he  had  to  deal,  and  addressed  several  letters  to  him 
marked  by  great  strength  and  frankness. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  August  30th,  1834. 

My  Lord, — There  is  nothing  like  common  sense ;  it 
reduces  every  subject  of  political  disquisition  to  its  true 
value  and  forms  the  just  estimate  of  its  importance.  I 
call  upon  you  to  appreciate  by  this  test  the  complaints  and 
the  claims  of  the  parties  which  at  present  rage  in  Ireland, 
and  then  I  require  of  you,  on  pain  of  forfeiting  your 
character  as  a  statesman,  to  act  firmly  and  decisively  as 
common  sense  shall  dictate.  There  are  two  parties  in  Ire- 
land :  the  Orange,  or  ascendancy  party,  on  the  one  hand  ; 
the  Eepeal,  or  popular  party,  on  the  other.  Each  party 
alleges  grievances,  and  makes  demands  on  the  Government 
for  their  redress.  Submit  the  complaints  as  well  as  the 
demands  of  each  to  the  scrutiny  of  common  sense,  but  let 
it  not  be  a  barren  scrutiny.  Determine  to  follow  out  the 
result  into  practical  measures  of  redress  or  compression. 
I  desire  no  more ;  but,  in  plain  truth,  I  will  not  be  content 
with  less.  Give  the  first  consideration  to  the  Orange 
party.  That  party  is  the  spoiled  child  of  favour,  partiality, 
and  undue  influence.  Ireland  has  been  governed  for  near 
three  hundred  years  by  and  for  that  party.  It  has  ruled, 
indeed,  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  its  workings  have  been 
moistened  with  the  tears  and  deluged  with  the  blood  of 
the  Irish  people.  So  rancorous,  so  malignant,  so  merce- 
nary, and,  alas  !  so  sanguinary  a  party  never  yet  cursed  a 
country,  or  was  inflicted  as  a  malediction  on  a  tried  nation. 
Blessed  be  the  will  of  God !  He  has  punished  the  people 
of  Ireland  by  the  protracted  rule  of  the  most  base,  trea- 

VOL.    I.  H  H 


466     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0'  CONN  ELL     CH.  xn. 

cherous,  and  truculent  faction  that  ever  appeared  on  the 
face  of  the  earth,  and  that  faction  is,  you  perceive  from 
their  late  exhibitions,  as  fresh  in  the  career  of  religious 
rancour  and  party  malignity  as  if  they  began  only  yester- 
day. Yes,  they  were  murderers  from  the  beginning,  and 
they  are  as  ready  for  the  extermination  of  the  Irish  people 
as  if  no  victim  had  been  ever  yet  sacrificed  to  the  bloody 
Moloch  of  politico-religious  ascendancy.  Any  other  party 
would  have  blushed  for  shame  at  the  avowal  of  the  mur- 
derous designs  which  were  openly  proclaimed  at  the  recent 
Orange  meetings.  But  no,  their  souls  are  so  hardened, 
and  so  accustomed  to  the  avowed  desire  of  practical  cruelty, 
that  they  do  not  affect  to  conceal  their  wishes  to  render 
Ireland  once  more  a  desert,  and  to  irrigate  her  plains  with 
the  blood  of  her  inhabitants.  I  myself  was  not  aware 
of  the  fury  or  indecency  of  this  band  before  their  recent 
meetings  in  Dublin.  I  really  did  imagine  that  now,  when 
they  had  lost  political  superiority,  they  might  listen  to 
the  voice  of  Eeason  and  of  Charity,  and  become  reconciled 
with  their  countrymen.  I,  therefore,  for  five  years,  have 
omitted  no  occasion  to  court  and  conciliate  them,  but 
all  in  vain.  The  truth  is,  that  they  are  a  talentless 
and  ungifted  race,  and  they  have  not  the  sense  to  see 
that  even  an  affectation  of  humanity  would  better  serve 
their  designs  than  that  barefaced  malignity  which  the 
inherent  nature  of  their  confederacy  of  guilt  causes  them 
to  adopt  and  exhibit.  But  they  make  complaints — they 
allege  that  they  are  enduring  grievances.  If  it  be  so,  why 
their  complaints  should  be  attended  to  by  the  Govern- 
ment, and  their  grievances  redressed  as  speedily  as  possible. 
Let  the  catalogue  of  their  complaints  be  made  out  and 
submitted  to  the  calm  consideration  of  common  sense. 
I  have  repeatedly  called  for  such  a  catalogue.  Nay,  I 
have  asked  for  a  statement  of  even  one  grievance  which 
Protestants  really  endure  in  Ireland ;  but  I  have  hitherto 
asked  in  vain.  They  say  that  they  are  aggrieved  as 
Protestants ;  they  make  general  complaints  and  loud  cries 
of  grievances ;  but  to  this  hour  the  are  unable  to  specify 


1834  OBANGE   GRIEVANCES  467 

any  one  tangible  point  upon  which  to  found  a  national 
claim  for  redress.  I  call  upon  you,  therefore,  to  reject 
their  claims  with  calm  but  determined  resolution.  You 
have,  of  course,  waded  through  their  voluminous  har- 
angues at  their  last  meeting.  Am  I  not  right  in  saying 
that,  after  talking  for  five  hours,  they  have  not  specified 
any  one  just  cause  of  complaint  which  affects  the  Protest- 
ants of  Ireland?  They  have  not  stated  any  one  law 
which  aggrieves  them,  as  Protestants,  because  no  such  law 
exists.  They  have  not  quoted  any  one  statute  which  injures 
them,  as  Protestants,  because  no  such  statute  exists.  They 
have  not  pointed  out  any  one  act  or  regulation  of  the 
Government  by  which  they,  as  Protestants,  are  unfavour- 
ably affected,  because  no  such  act  or  regulation  exists. 
They  have  shown  no  exclusion  or  partiality  as  against  them 
in  the  appointments  to  the  Bench,  or  to  the  Bar.  They 
have  shown  no  preference  over  them  in  the  Army  or  the 
Navy,  or  in  the  Civil  Service  of  the  State.  They  cannot 
complain  of  any  preference  over  them  in  the  nomination  of 
Sheriffs  or  Magistrates,  or  in  the  selection  of  the  Police. 
They  do  not  indicate,  in  short,  anything  which  affects  them 
injuriously,  as  Protestants,  in  the  distribution  of  place, 
power,  honours,  or  emoluments,  or  in  the  protection  of  life 
or  property.  Thus,  then,  stands  the  case  with  them  in 
point  of  common  sense.  They  have  no  one  real  cause  of 
complaint.  They  suffer  no  injustice.  They  endure  none 
of  the  effects  of  an  undue  preference  of  others  over  them. 
There  is  no  law,  there  is  no  usage  injurious  to  them. 
They  make  all  their  bustle  and  outcry  for  no  other  reason 
but  that  they  are  threatened  to  be  retarded  in  their  career 
of  unjust  domination.  They  do  not  rule  the  people  quite 
as  absolutely  as  they  did  formerly ;  and,  besides,  there  is  a 
great  and  growing  probability  that  the  people  will  be  re- 
lieved in  a  great  measure  from  tithes  ;  and  it  is  also  true 
that  the  period  appears  to  approach  when  no  man  will  be 
compelled  to  pay  for  the  services  of  the  clergyman  of 
another.  These  are  their  only  grievances — their  only 
causes  for  complaint.  You  will  see  that  I  misstate  in 

H   H   2 


468     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

nothing  the  case  of  the  ascendancy  party.     They  have  not 
one  real  grievance.     They  have  not  one  rational  ground  of 
complaint,    save   that  which   the   wolf  may   make   when 
about  to  be  deprived  of  the  spoil  which  he  plundered  from 
the  farmer's  stock.     Apply — it  is  all  trash — the  rule  of 
common  sense  to  the  outcries  of  the  Orangeists,  and  you 
will  arrive  at  the  inevitable  conclusion  that  since  the  world 
began  there  never  was  so  senseless,  so  unfounded  an  outcry 
as  they  have  recently  raised  ;  and  then  deal  with  them  in 
silent  contempt,  as  deserving  of  notice  only  where  it  may 
be  necessary  to  prevent  them  from  doing  more  mischief. 
Common  sense   also  bids  you  recollect  that  the   Orange 
party  are  the  bitter,  the  unrelenting  enemies  of  the  present 
Administration.     You  know  well  that  they  would  hurl  you 
and  your  colleagues  from  office  in  one  hour  if  they  could. 
There  is  no  expense,  there  are  no  pains  they  would  spare 
to  achieve  that,  to  them,  most  desirable  object.     In  short, 
they  are  the  most  envenomed  of  the  enemies  of  the  present 
Ministry.     Why,  then,  should  you  confer  upon  that  party 
favours  and  preferences  ?    You  also  know  that  they  cannot 
be  conciliated  by  any  kindness.  .  .  . 

I  am  ready  to  give  a  detail  of  the  follies,  the  faults, 
and  the  crimes '  of  the  Whigs  in  Ireland.  I  will  not  '  set 
down  aught  in  malice,'  but  I  will  give  a  full  and  unexag- 
gerated  detail  of  the  principal  acts  of  folly,  fatuity,  and 
crime  committed  against  the  people  of  Ireland  by  the 
Ministry  since  November  1830,  W7hen  the  Tories  were  driven 
from  office.  ...  I  have  two  objects  in  view.  The  first  is, 
to  vindicate  the  popular  party  in  Ireland  from  a  charge 
repeatedly  made  against  them  of  having,  without  any  just 
provocation,  evinced  hostility  to  the  '  Whigs.'  I  wish  to 
demonstrate  that  the  popular  party  in  this  country  have 
been  the  worst  used  party  that  ever  existed,  and  that  every- 
thing has  been  done  by  the  Whigs  to  injure  and  insult  the 
Irish  people,  while  they  have  not  as  yet  performed  one  act 
of  justice  or  of  conciliation  to  Ireland. 

My  second  object  is,  to  reconcile,  if  possible,  the  popular 
party  in  Ireland  with  the  present  Ministry  —to  make  us 


1834  CHANGE  OF  SYSTEM  UEGED  469 

part  of  your  strength,  not  of  your  weakness ;  and  in  par- 
ticular to  strengthen  the  Ministry  in  the  approaching 
collision  with  the  House  of  Lords.  The  reform  of  that 
House  is  essentially  necessary  to  the  establishment  and 
security  of  popular  freedom.  I  most  anxiously  desire  to 
assist  you  in  that  peaceable  struggle  by  which  the  House 
of  Peers  is,  I  trust,  shortly  to  yield  to  common  sense,  and 
be  converted  by  law  into  an  Elective  Senate,  subject  to  the 
necessary  control  of  public  opinion.  To  effectuate  this 
reconciliation  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  point  out  which 
party  has  been  hitherto  in  the  wrong.  If  the  popular  had 
been  so,  I  should  be  the  first  to  advise  them  to  retrace  their 
steps  and  to  atone  for  their  errors.  I  respectfully  but 
distinctly  require  you  to  adopt  a  similar  line  of  conduct, 
when  I  show  that  the  '  follies,  the  faults,  and  the  crimes  ' 
have  all  been  on  the  side  of  the  Whigs,  and  that  we  have 
done  nothing  but  act  on  the  defensive,  or  assert  actively 
the  first  principles  of  civil  liberty.  With  such  a  demon- 
stration before  you,  I  will  emphatically  call  on  you,  either 
to  procure  redress  and  a  change  of  system  for  Ireland,  or  at 
once  to  resign  and  not  to  allow  your  hitherto  untarnished 
character  to  be  tinged  with  the  duplicity  and  abandonment 
of  principle,  on  the  part  of  the  leading  Whigs,  of  which  the 
Irish  people  have  been  the  victims.  Prompt,  immediate 
redress  is  what  I  demand  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  Ire- 
land. Do  not  talk  to  us  of  '  waiting  a  while ; '  that  has  been 
the  cant  used  by  the  hirelings  of  the  Whigs  in  this  country 
until  it  has  actually  sickened  public  indignation.  I  tell  you 
we  will  not  wait.  We  ought  not  to  wait  longer.  You  can- 
not safely  postpone  us.  You  will  lose  the  popular  support 
of  Ireland  if  you  attempt  to  procrastinate  relief.  We  will 
not  be  baffled ;  we  cannot  be  deluded.  All  we  ask  is,  that 
you  should  remove  from  office  your  enemies  and  ours ;  that 
the  Orange  faction  should  not  continue  to  be,  as  they  have 
hitherto  exclusively  been,  your  only  instruments  of  rule  in 
Ireland.  We  simply  ask  of  you  not  to  continue  to  entrust 
power,  as  you  have  hitherto  done,  to  your  mortal  enemies, 
but  to  govern  Ireland  by  avowed  and  tried  friends  of  reform 


470     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xn. 

and  of  the  Irish  people — by  such  men  as  you  are  yourself. 
Can  anything  be  more  reasonable  than  our  demand  ?  You 
cannot  conciliate  the  Orange  faction,  even  if  you  were  to 
continue  to  administer  Ireland  through  their  instrumentality 
— a  faction  which,  believe  me,  is  as  weak  and  powerless, 
save  for  minute  and  individuaFmischief,  as  it  is  odious  and 
detested  in  the  judgment  of  every  intelligent  and  honest 
man.5 

The  office  of  Attorney-General  became  vacant ;  an  office 
of  enormous  emolument  in  the  hands  of  a  prosecuting 
Attorney-General,  and  of  the  very  first  political  influence. 
It  is,  you  well  know,  the  most  important  office  in  the 
administration  of  the  Government  of  Ireland.  Consulted 
upon  everything ;  advising,  guiding,  directing  everything — 
the  Irish  Government  is  identified  with  the  Attorney- 
General.  It  is  not  of  so  much  importance  how  the  other 
offices  are  filled  if  the  Attorney-General  be  a  man  of  sound 
principles.  This  was  the  prime,  the  lasting  blunder  of  the 
Whigs.  They  selected  for  their  Attorney-General  Francis 
Blackburne  !  You  know  him  well.  I  appeal  with  confidence 
to  the  opinion  which  you  must  give  your  colleagues  in  the 
confidence  of  official  intercourse.  I  appeal  to  your  opinion 
as  I  would  to  your  oath  in  a  court  of  justice,  for  the  truth 
of  this  assertion,  that  so  unhappy  and  fatal  a  selection  was 
never  yet  made.  Of  all  the  members  of  the  Irish  Bar,  the 
very  worst  choice  that  could  have  been  made  by  the  Whigs 
was  that  of  Blackburne.  I  care  not  what  other  barrister 
you  name — I  defy  you  to  name  one  whose  appointment 
could  be  more  unfortunate  for  the  Whigs,  that  is,  if  their 
object  was  to  conciliate  the  people  of  Ireland.  If,  indeed, 
their  object  was  to  exasperate  the  people,  then,  indeed,  they 
did  right  to  select  Mr.  Blackburne.  They  could  not  possibly 
have  devised  any  measure  more  calculated  to  excite  popular 
resentment  against  them.  They  could  not,  in  short,  have 

5  Here  several  unpopular  appoint-       Chief  Baron  Joy  and  Chief  Justice 
ments   already  noticed  receive   de-      Doherty. 
served  censure,   especially  those  of 


1834  BLACKBUENE  BLACKENED  471 

better  proclaimed  hostility  to  the  people  of  this  country. 
Why  was  Mr.  Blackburne  chosen  to  be  the  principal  instru- 
ment of  the  Whig  Government  ?  The  history  of  his  life 
seemed  to  forbid  such  a  choice.  It  is  quite  true  that  he 
had  been  successful  in  his  profession ;  his  reputation  as  a 
lawyer  considerable ;  an  overrated  man  certainly,  but  a  man 
of  high  standing  in  his  profession ;  but  then  he  was  the 
most  constant  and  decided  enemy  of  both  the  Whigs  and 
the  people.  .  .  .  Yet  it  was  this  man,  fresh  from  the  oratory 
of  bigotry,  and  from  signing  the  last  and  worst  petition 
against  Emancipation,  that  Lord  Anglesey  appointed  At- 
torney-General ! !  Yes,  my  Lord,  it  is  this  very  man,  the 
anti-Whig,  the  No-Popery  orator,  the  determined  enemy  of 
Emancipation,  that  you,  Secretary  as  you  are  for  the  Home 
Department — this  is  the  man  that  you  and  your  colleagues 
continue  in  the  office  of  Attorney-General ! !  I  do  ask  you, 
my  Lord,  have  you  the  least  doubt  of  this,  that  if  Mr. 
Blackburne  had  not  been  in  office  he  would  have  figured 
as  a  leading  speaker  at  the  last  Conservative  meeting? 
Do  you  not  know  that  his  heart  and  soul  were  in  the  meet- 
ing, and  that  not  one  man  attended  it  who  more  sincerely 
desired  the  success  of  the  objects  of  that  assembly  than 
your  Attorney- General  ? 

There  is  no  man  in  the  British  dominions  who  would 
more  heartily  rejoice  if  the  Whigs  were  turned  out  of  office 
to-morrow,  and  the  Tories  replaced  them,  than  your  Attor- 
ney-General. I  need  only  remind  you  of  the  active  patron- 
age which  your  Attorney-General  has  extended  to  the 
most  Orange  part  of  the  Irish  Bar.  But  you,  my  Lord, 
know  him,  and  you  must  feel  that  you  cannot  preserve 
a  character  for  consistency  or  political  integrity  unless  you, 
without  delay,  either  change  your  Attorney-General  or 
resign.  His  prosecutions  were  contrived  to  raise  a  wall 
of  eternal  separation  between  the  popular  party  in  Ireland 
and  the  Ministry.  It  is  true  that  these  prosecutions  had 
the  sanction  of  Mr.  Stanley  and  of  Earl  Grey ;  but  recollect 
it  is  the  faults  and  crimes  of  the  Whigs  I  am  commenting 
upon,  not  those  of  their  Attorney-General.  I  blame  them 


472     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON NELL    CH.  xn. 

for  selecting  a  political  enemy,  both  of  the  Whigs  and  of 
the  Catholic  people  of  Ireland.  I  blame  them  for  placing 
in  this  important  office  one  of  the  most  virulent  of  the 
Orange  Tories  of  Ireland.  I  blame  not  him  for  labouring 
in  his  vocation,  and  serving  his  friends  openly,  as  he  has 
done,  under  the  banners  of  his  political  enemies,  and  with 
their  authority. 

Your  nomination  to  be  a  Cabinet  Minister  was  hailed 
as  the  commencement  of  a  better  era.  It  was  a  pledge 
that  the  vile  and  silly  system  of  promoting  enemies  and 
excluding  friends  should  be  terminated,  and  the  rational 
plan  of  at  length  making  a  Government  party  in  Ireland, 
by  conciliating  the  people,  substituted.  I  myself  saw  your 
appointment  in  this  light,  and  proclaimed  it  as  such.  I 
took  your  good  sense  and  knowledge  of  Ireland  as  a  pledge 
of  the  approach  of  better  times.  But,  alas,  how  vain  are 
all  hopes  arising  from  the  past  character  of  statesmen  !  My 
Lord,  you  are  two  months  in  office,  and  you  have  not  taken 
one  step  to  redeem  all  or  any  of  your  pledges— for  pledges 
I  justly  call  them. 

But  if  you  continue  honest  towards  Ireland,  why  do 
you  not  begin  to  show  it  ?  Why  is  not  some  movement 
made  to  prove  that  our  confidence  in  you  is  not  misplaced  ? 
You  cannot  afford  to  wait — you  must  act.  We  are  under 
the  constant  pressure  of  the  dominion  of  the  friends,  rela- 
tives, and  brothers — in  blood  and  in  sentiment — of  those 
who  met  in  the  Winchelsea  conclave.  You  may  as  well 
preach  patience  to  a  man  whose  knee-bone  you  are  deliber- 
ately sawing  off,  as  preach  that  virtue  to  a  nation  suffering 
the  agony  of  the  insulting  rule  of  a  Ministry  professing 
liberality  and  friendship,  and  acting  by  the  instrumentality 
of  agents  of  the  most  bigotted  and  hostile  principles  and 
dispositions.  I  am  ready  to  aid  in  the  perfect  reconcilia- 
tion of  the  people  with  the  Ministry,  but  I  have  neither 
the  power  nor  the  inclination  to  do  so  unless  you  will  con- 
fer on  that  people,  not  sweet,  soft  words,  but  substantial 
and  distinct  acts  of  friendship  and  protection.  Until  Par- 


1834  CHANGE   OF  POLICY   URGED  473 

liament  meets  we  require  that  you  will  discountenance  and 
dismiss  your  and  our  enemies,  that  you  will  govern  Ireland 
by  and  through  our  and  your  friends. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

(Private.)  Darrynane  Abbey  ;  2nd  Sept.  1834. 

My  Lord, — I  left  London  nearly  in  despair  of  the 
present  Administration  doing  anything  for  Ireland,  although, 
as  you  are  in  a  position  in  which  the  same  persons  are  your 
enemies  as  well  as  ours,  I  have  endeavoured  since  my  return 
to  this  country  to  put  the  best  face  I  could  upon  your  inten- 
tions, and  to  keep  the  popular  party  as  much  as  possible 
from  embarrassing  your  Government. 

The  matter  on  which  I  most  despair  is,  however,  one 
of  the  most  pressing  necessity — the  changing  the  agency 
by  which  the  Whigs  have  hitherto  conducted  the  Irish 
branch  of  their  administration.  When  I  saw  you  last  you 
did  not  give  me  the  least  reason  to  hope  for  such  a  change. 
The  coldness  and  apparent  apathy  with  which  you  received 
the  opinions  I  pressed  on  you  upon  this  subject  make  me 
fear,  very  much  fear,  that  your  colleagues  are  not  prepared 
to  make  those  alterations  amongst  their  Irish  subalterns 
without  which  it  would  be  vain  to  expect  for  the  present 
Ministry  the  support  of  the  Irish  people,  or  the  absence  of 
every  species  of  political  annoyance  and  embarrassment. 
I  am  doing  all  I  can  to  give  that  Ministry  the  fullest  op- 
portunity to  redeem  itself  with  the  people  of  Ireland,  but  I 
must  say  I  am  doing  it  with  a  conviction  that  Lord  Mel- 
bourne and  Lord  Lansdowne  are  inclined  to  countenance 
the  Ascendancy  Party  amongst  us  if  they  could  only  mitigate 
the  hostility  of  that  party,  and  that  the  greater  part  of  the 
remainder  of  the  Cabinet  are  not  sufficiently  awake  to  the 
importance  of  taking  a  decided  part  against  their  Orange 
enemies  in  Ireland  or  of  at  length  forming  a  Government 
party  in  this  country,  for  you  well  know  that  the  Govern- 


474     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

ment  has  not  an  Irish  party  even  amongst  its  own  paid 
servants. 

I  do  pray  you  to  excuse  me  for  giving  you  this  trouble. 
But  there  is  now  so  fine  an  opportunity  of  disembarrassing 
the  Ministry  from  one  great  difficulty  that  I  cannot  avoid 
obtruding  my  advice.  The  death  of  Judge  Jebb  6  gives  the 
Ministry  an  opportunity  to  prove  itself.  It  will  be  vain  to 
ask  the  popular  party  to  tolerate  you 7  if  you  throw  away 
this  lucky  chance. 

It  enables  you  to  get  rid  of  Blackburne.  You  can  at 
once  disembarrass  yourselves  of  him.  An  arrangement 
could  be  made  to  shift  a  judge  from  the  Common  Pleas  into 
the  King's  Bench  and  to  put  Blackburne  into  the  Common 
Pleas,  where  his  talents  as  a  lawyer  would  be  useful  in  that 
otherwise  miserable  court.8  If  he  refuses  to  take  the  office 
of  puisne  judge  you  would  have  a  palpable  reason  for  dis- 
missing him  as  Attorney- General,  and  while  he  fills  that 
office  you  continue  under  the  reproach  of  being  vilified  and 
defeated  by  the  Orangemen  and  yet  keeping  their  prime 
patron  as  your  first  law-officer.  Even  if  you  had  only 
the  seat  in  the  King's  Bench  to  offer  Blackburne  yet  he  could 
do  much  less  mischief  as  a  judge  of  that  Court  than  he  does 
to  Ireland  and  to  you  as  Attorney-General. 

If  the  Ministry  do  not  dispose  of  Blackburne  in  this 
way  the  next  person  for  the  vacant  seat  would  be  Crampton 
if  he  were  fit  for  it,  but  he  is  not.  It  will  be  a  disgrace,  an 
irretrievable  disgrace  to  the  Ministry  to  put  on  the  Bench 
so  incompetent  a  man.  The  £500  sent  from  the  Castle  to 
assist  the  Dungarvan  election  will,  if  Crampton  be  made 
a  Judge,  all  come  out  next  Session,  and  then  his  promotion 
would  really  be  making  the  Bench  a  family  coterie.9  The 

6  Richard  Jebb,  K.B.,  died  Sept-  Blackburne  errs  in  saying  that  the 
ember  3,  1834,  and  was  succeeded  occasion  which  provoked  O'Connell's 
on  October  21  by  Philip  Cecil  Cramp-  attack  on  the  Attorney-General  '  was 
ton,  whom  the  author  of  Ireland  and  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of 
its  Rulers  describes  as '  an  undecided  Judge  Jebb,  and  the  fears  entertained 
Whig.'  by  O'Connell  lest  Blackburne  should 

7  As    member    for    the    county  be  offered  the  seat.'     (P.  165). 
Kilkenny.  9  The  Freeman's  Journal  of  June 

*  From  this  and  other  passages  28,  1834,  contains  a  curious  private 
it  is  evident  that  the  biographer  of  letter  of  Crampton  offering  a  bribe 


1834  THE  JUDGES  JUDGED  475 

Chancellor's  son  l  is  married  to  the  daughter  of  the  Chief 
Justice  of  the  King's  Bench,  who  in  his  turn  is  a  near  con- 
nection _of  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Common  Pleas,2  who 
in  his  turn  is  connected  with  the  new  Justice  Crampton. 
Thus  these  Judges,  instead  of  being  free  to  correct  the  errors 
the  one  of  the  others,  will  have  family  reasons  and  propensities 
to  conceal  and  cover  mutually  their  mistakes  or  misjudg- 
ments.  I  may  not  have  accurately  traced  the  connection 
between  these  four  Judges,  that  is,  if  Crampton  is  to  be  a 
Judge;  but,  if  he  shall  be  one,  there  certainly  will  be  the 
'  partie  quarree  '  of  four  Judges  nearly  connected  with  one 
another  on  the  Irish  Bench,  a  thing  which  would  not  be 
tolerated  in  England. 

But  the  more  decisive  objection,  as  I  hope,  is  that 
Crampton  really  is  unfit  for  the  office.  He  has  no  cha- 
racter for  high-mindedness  or  public  integrity ;  his  conduct 
at  the  Bar  is  sneered  at,  his  legal  knowledge  by  no  means 
adequate  ;  and  if  you  inquire  from  dispassionate  persons  as 
to  his  conduct  on  the  last  Munster  Circuit  you  will  find  an 
almost  total  want  of  judicial  qualities.  In  short,  it  is  my 
painful  duty  to  warn  you  of  the  utter  discredit  you  will  fall 
into  if  you  make  Crampton  a  Judge.  A  Mastership  in 
Chancery  might  be  procured  for  him,  and  he  would  there  be 
less  liable  to  do  injury,  and  have  only  such  points  come 
before  him  as  could  be  elucidated  for  him  by  any  skilful 
accountant. 

Supposing  that  the  office  should  not  be  given  to  either 
Crampton  or  Blackburne,  I  will,  in  consequence  of  the  per- 
mission you  gave  me,  mention  the  names  of  the  Liberal 
barristers  fit  for  that  office. 

1st.  Mr.  Holmes,3  advanced  in  life,  but  an  excellent, 
strong-minded  lawyer.  A  Presbyterian. 

of  £300  to  promote  the  return  of  a  of  Charles  Kendal  Bushe,  C.J.K.B., 

Whig;   he  was  then  Attorney-Gen-  and  was  father  of   the  Bight   Hon. 

eral.     The  matter  was  brought  be-  David  Plunket,  M.P.  A  son  of  John's, 

fore  Parliament  by  Feargus  O'Con-  born  in  1845,  was  christened  Cecil 

nor.      Mr.   Littleton  pronounced   it  Crampton. 

'  stolen  '  evidence.  2  Right  Hon.  John  Doherty. 

1  Lord  Plunket's  son  John  had  3  Bobert  Holmes  (of  whom  here- 
married,  in  1824,  Charlotte,  daughter  after),  a  man  of  the  highest  attain- 


476     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xii.. 


2nd.  Sergeant  O'Loghlen,  an  excellent  lawyer,  a  most 
amiable,  intelligent  man.  A  Catholic. 

3rd.  Sergeant  Perrin  possesses  the  judicial  qualities  in 
a  very  high  degree.  A  Protestant. 

4th.  Mr.  Eichards,  practises  at  the  Chancery  Bar,  an 
excellent  lawyer  and  man.  A  Protestant.4 

5th.  Mr.  Eichard  Keating,  a  very  good  lawyer ;  a  Liberal 
at  all  times,  neglected  by  the  present  Government,  perse- 
cuted by  the  last.  A  Protestant.5 

6th.  Mr.  Pigot,6  a  young  man,  but  of  great,  very  great 
legal  knowledge.  One  of  the  most  excellent  men  living. 
Would  be,  I  trust  will  be  one  day,  an  ornament  to  the 
Bench.  A  Catholic. 

There  is  a  list  of  six,  the  appointment  of  any  of  whom 
would  give  great  satisfaction.  But  if  Emancipation  is  not 
to  continue  to  be  a  dead  letter,  you  will  not  pass  over 
Sergeant  O'Loghlen.  There  is  not  one  man  of  any  party 
that  could  deny  his  fitness  to  be  a  Judge.  This  list  will 
also  serve  you,  as  far  as  any  suggestions  of  mine  can  serve 
you,  in  the  selection  of  an  Attorney  or  Solicitor  General, 
should  either  office  be  vacant ;  or,  what  is  much  more 
likely,  my  suggestions  will,  as,  perhaps,  after  all  they 
ought  to  be,  totally  disregarded.  That,  of  course,  will 
not  at  all  surprise  me,  nor  give  me  any  kind  of  cause  for 
reproach.  I  would  not  write  if  you  were  not  as  free  to 
reject  as  I  feel  myself  to  suggest. 

I  saw  with  affright  a  paragraph  in  the  Globe,  throwing 
cold  water  on  '  Corporate  Eeform '  in  Ireland.  Knowing 
that  paper  to  speak  the  sentiments  of  a  segment  of  the 


ments ;  but  he  was  brother-in-law 
of  Addis  Emmet,  and  Holmes  always 
refused  to  accept  compliment  from  a 
Government  which  included  Plunket. 
When  Eobert  Emmet  in  1803  de- 
clined to  call  witnesses  for  his  de- 
fence, Plunket,  as  Solicitor-General, 
crushed  him  in  a  speech  of  unsparing 
severity.  After  a  verdict  of  guilty 
had  been  given,  Emmet  eloquently 
replied  from  the  dock,  and  was 
hanged  next  morning. 


4  Perrin  and  Eichards  (of  whom 
hereafter)  both  became  Judges,  the 
first  on  August  31,  the  second  on 
September  21,  1835. 

5  Mr.    Keating    was    appointed 
Judge  of  the  Irish  Probate  Court. 

6  Mr.  David  Pigot  became  Soli- 
citor-General in  1837,  and  in  1846, 
on  the  return  of  the  Whigs  to  power, 
received  the  appointment  of   Chief 
Baron. 


1834  GOOD  JUDICIAL  APPOINTMENTS  DEMANDED  477 

Cabinet,  I  regret  to  see  this  damper  put  on  the  hopes  held 
out  by  the  King's  concluding  speech.  Would  to  heaven 
you  were  all  combined  in  a  determination  to  carry  into 
effect  the  practical  measures  necessarily  expectant  on  the 
Eeform  Bill.  It  would  be  easy  now  to  satisfy  the  British — 
aye,  and  the  Irish  public.  Presently  the  time  for  half  mea- 
sures and  gradual  improvements  will  have  passed,  perhaps 
for  ever. 

I  know  the  Ministry  are  losing  time  and  opportunity  in 
Ireland.  You  are  going  on  with  your  Orangeists  at  the 
Castle,  at  the  Bar,  in  the  Shrievalties,  in  the  Magistra- 
cies— in  all  places  and  offices,  especially  in  the  Police,  and 
then  you  blame  the  Irish  people,  sore  from  centuries  of 
Orange  oppressions,  because  they  refuse  to  believe  in  the 
good  intentions  of  a  Ministry  who  appoint,  or  continue 
their  own  and  the  people's  enemies  in  all  stations  of  honour 
and  emolument. 

How  shall  I  apologise  for  this  lengthened  trespass  ? 
You  would  be  spared  the  trouble  of  reading  it  if  I  was  not 
convinced  of  the  patriotism  and  purity  of  your  disposition 
to  serve  Ireland,  and  of  your  wish  to  receive  information 
from  every  quarter  to  enable  you  the  better  to  carry  your 
intentions  into  effect. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  my  Lord,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Darrynane  Abbey:  September  6th,  1834. 

My  Lord, —  .  .  .  There  happens  just  at  this  moment  to 
be  a  seat  vacant  in  the  King's  Bench.  Of  Judge  Jebb  I 
will  say  nothing.  I  will  content  myself  merely  by  calling 
your  Lordship's  attention  to  the  fact  that  a  most  animated 
eulogium  has  been  published  upon  his  judicial  character  by 
the  talented  but  most  unqualified  advocate  of  Orangeism  ! 
Can  you,  then,  doubt  what  was  the  colour  of  his  judicial 
politics  ?  But  we  war  not  with  the  dead.  Peace  be  with 
him  !  We  strive  only  for  the  living.  And  now,  my  Lord, 


478     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

it  remains  to  be  seen  who  is  to  be  his  successor.  You 
can  select  a  man  of  competent  ability  and  learning,  whose 
politics  are  most  adverse  to  yours  and  to  the  civil  and 
religious  liberties  of  the  Irish  nation — for  there  are  many 
such  at  the  Bar.  A  vivid  and  exclusive  patronage  of  thirty 
years  and  upwards  has  brought  to  maturity  many  men  of 
that  description.  You  may  select  a  man  of  first-rate  ability 
and  great  learning,  whose  politics  coincide  with  your  own, 
and  who,  having  been  in  bad  times  a  friend  to  civil  and 
religious  liberty,  has  often  felt  the  cold  hand  of  repulsive 
bigotry  coming  between  him  and  a  just  elevation — for  there 
are  some  such  men  at  the  Irish  bar — or  you  may  choose 
in  your  caprice  to  appoint  some  man  who  has  not  com- 
mitted himself  in  politics  simply  because  he  selected  a  cir- 
cuit on  which  it  might  have  been  imprudent  to  avow  anti- 
popular  principles,  but  a  man  who  would,  when  free  from 
restraint,  be  just  the  person  in  the  world  most  likely  to 
indemnify  himself  for  the  forced  silence  of  his  probation  by 
becoming  a  most  active  partisan  on  the  Bench.  You  may 
select  some  man  of  plausible  pretensions  without  one  solid 
qualification,  who  would  be  the  sport  and  ridicule  of  all 
parties,  whilst  he  had  the  confidence  of  none.  This  '  juste 
milieu '  course,  the  worst  and  most  contemptible  of  all,  may 
be  followed.  Alas,  for  poor  Ireland  !  There  seems  a  fatality 
in  her  destinies  which  could  alone  make  such  a  selection 
probable ;  but  if  you  choose  to  select  in  that  way,  there  are 
not  wanting  men  at  the  Irish  bar  to  suit  your  unwise  pur- 
poses. It  is  not  for  me  to  suggest  the  name  or  to  trace  the 
character  of  any  individual.  I  have  pointed  out  classes 
from  which  you  may  and  must  select.  All  I  have  to  do  is 
to  assure  you  that  the  fate  of  your  administration  in  Ireland 
depends  mainly  on  the  appointment  you  make.  It  is,  indeed, 
time  for  you  to  take  one  step  to  conciliate  the  people  of 
Ireland — to  begin  to  give  the  people  some  reason  to  confide 
in  the  administration  of  justice,  whilst  you  commence  to 
cleanse  the  sources  through  which  it  may  flow. 

....  The  '  Algerine  Act '  expired,  but  soon  after  the 
more  unconstitutional  and  odious  Coercion  Bill  was  sub- 


1834  WHIG  MISGOVEENMENT  479 

stituted.  The  moment  the  latter  became  law,  this  brilliant 
star  of  nobility 7 — who  gave  the  pledge  to  the  public  that  he 
would  issue  no  proclamation — reassumed  his  proclamation 
career.  He  proclaimed  down  the  existing  public  bodies, 
although  their  members  as  well  as  their  leaders  had  con- 
tributed powerfully,  and  had,  indeed,  been  solicited  by 
Lord  Anglesey's  Government,  to  contribute  to  the  carrying 
the  Eeform  Bill,  and  keeping  '  the  Whigs  '  in  office.  But 
there  remains  one  more  characteristic  trait  of  the  Whig 
misgovernment  of  Ireland.  Whilst  proclamations  showered 
down  on  the  heads  of  the  reformers  and  Whig  politicians, 
not  a  single  proclamation  was  directed,  either  under  the 
Algerine  or  the  Coercion  Bill,  against  any  Orange  meeting, 
either  great  or  small.  All  the  favour  and  forbearance  was 
for  the  Orange  lodges  ;  all  the  coercion  and  rigour  was 
reserved  for  the  popular  assemblies.  .  .  . 

The  sixth  cause  of  popular  complaint  involves  in  it 
almost  all  the  functionaries  by  whom  '  the  Whigs  '  ad- 
minister the  affairs  of  Ireland.  Let  me,  however,  give  '  the 
Castle '  priority,  from  its  being  the  centre  towards  which  all 
persons  who  have  any  business  to  transact  with  the  Go- 
vernment naturally  and  necessarily  turn  themselves.  The 
clerks  of  the  Castle,  high  and  low,  form  the  political  medium 
through  which  all  the  affairs  of  the  internal  regulation  of 
Ireland  must  pass.  It  is  here  that  the  Orange  faction  has 
hitherto  had  the  greatest  advantages.  Here  their  crimes 
were,  in  former  times,  palliated  and  pardoned — nay,  fre- 
quently received  the  rewards  due  to  merit  and  public  virtue. 
The  Castle  clerks  were,  you  know  it  well,  my  Lord,  the 
great  patrons  of  the  ascendancy  faction,  and  they  con- 
tinued to  give  that  faction  a  practical  ascendancy  after  the 
legal  one  had  been  destroyed.  It  was  felt  by  everybody 
that  '  the  Whigs '  must  give  up  all  pretence  of  introducing 
a  new  and  ameliorated  system  of  management  in  Ireland 
unless  the  Castle  was  purified.  It  was  said  that,  as  long  as 
Gregory  and  his  underlings  had  possession  of  the  Castle,  it 
is  impossible  to  hope  for  an  impartial  or  popular  adminis- 

'  Lord  Anglesey. 


480     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN ELL    CH.  xii. 

tration  of  Irish  affairs.     Gregory,  accordingly,  was  turned 
out,  although,  to  do  him  justice,  he  had,  with  all  his  faults, 
some  Irish  feelings ;  but  the  other  offices  remained  unpurged 
and  unpurified.   Gregory  was  dismissed ;  Gossett  was  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  department,  for  such  he  really  is ;  and 
what  has  the  country  gained  by  the  change  ?     I  ask  you,  my 
Lord,  what  difference  there  is  between  Gregory  and  Gossett  ? 
The  popular  party  know  of  none ;  if  they  believe  in  any,  it  is 
merely  because  they  deem  Gossett  the  more  Conservative 
of  the  two.     Neither  can  he  be  accused  of  the  want  of  man- 
liness in   disclosing  his   opinions.     He,  I  believe,  is   not 
guilty  of  any  concealment,  and,  accordingly,  I  have  heard 
that  he  is  not  only  secure  in  his  office,  but  that  pensions 
have  been  actually  bestowed  upon  a  group,  I  know  not  how 
many,  of  his  family — sons  or  daughters,  I  care  not  which. 
My  friend  Whittle  Harvey  will,  I  hope,  have  another  day 
at  them.     In  the  meantime  *  the  Castle '  remains  as  little 
popular — as  anti-popular — and  as  thoroughly  Tory  as  ever 
it  was.     The  Whigs  have  changed  the  man.     They  have 
changed  none  of  the  principles  or  modes  of  action.     Here, 
my  Lord,  I  venture  most  earnestly  to  implore  your  assist- 
ance.    The  Castle  clerks  and  secretaries  are  literally  the 
eyes  and  ears  of  the  Irish  Government.     Nothing  is  heard 
but  what  they  choose  to  render  audible,  nothing  is  seen  but 
what  they  please  to  render  visible.     The  present  Ministry, 
if  they  choose  to  judge  and  to  decide  for  themselves,  must 
at  once  dismiss  every  one  of  those  who  differ  from  them  in 
political  principles,  and   substitute  those  who  will   assist 
them  in  giving  the  people  of  Ireland  a  fair,  just,  impartial, 
and  honest  administration  of  our  affairs.     My  complaint  is 
—the  complaint  of  the  people  of  Ireland  is,  that  you  have 
as  yet  to  make  the  first  step  towards  giving  them  that  jus- 
tice and  fair  play  for  which  alone  they  seek.     They  complain 
that  the  Whigs  have  been  four  years  in  office  without  having 
taken  that  first  step,  and  that,  instead  of  making  the  radical 
change  at  the  Castle  necessary  to  effectuate  these  purposes, 
they  have  changed  one  name  without  changing  any  part  of 
the  system.     My  Lord,  I  think  I  know  you  well. 


1834  THE  MINISTRY  ON   THEIR   TRIAL  481 

The  vacant  seat  in  the  King's  Bench  should  be  filled  by 
no  incompetent  person,  no  matter  what  his  politics  maybe. 
It  should  be  filled  by  a  lawyer  learned  in  his  profession,  by 
a  barrister  able  and  discriminating,  successful  as  an  advo- 
cate and  respected  by  all  for  his  integrity  and  impartiality, 
by  a  man  who  has  never  bowed  the  knee  to  the  dagon  of 
ascendancy,  or  rendered  himself  suspicious  even  to  the 
Orange  party  by  the  violence  or  energy  of  his  political 
agitation,  but  who,  at  the  same  time,  never  shrank  from  the 
tranquil  but  firm  avowal  of  liberal  and  just  opinions. 
There  are,  my  Lord,  such  men — Catholics  and  Protestants 
— to  be  found  at  the  Irish  bar.  Believe  me,  you  and  your 
colleagues  are  now  on  your  trial  before  the  Irish  public ; 
almost  all  of  the  practical  enemies  of  Ireland  have  retired 
from  office ;  you  are  substantially  a  new — show  that  you 
are  a  better — Ministry. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Lord  Duncannon  to  O'Connell. 
(Private.)  Bessborough  :  Septm.  8,  1834. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  is  unjust  in  you  to  say  I  received  any 
suggestions  you  made  in  London  coldly  and  without  the 
intention  of  profiting  by  them,  but  I  told  you  then,  and  I 
must  now  repeat  to  you,  that  I  should  be  acting  unfairly 
by  them — those  with  whom  I  am  particularly  connected — if 
I  made  promises  or  gave  assurances  that  it  did  not  depend 
on  me  to  perform.  You  know  my  opinion  on  matters 
connected  with  this  country,  and  you  know  also  how  happy 
I  am  to  receive  your  suggestions.  I  am  very  much  obliged 
to  you  for  the  names  you  mention  of  persons  at  the  Bar 
whose  talents  and  station  entitle  them  to  preferment. 
Serjeant  O'Loghlen,  I  know,  is  one  eminently  qualified  for 
employment,  and  justly  popular.  I  have  no  right  to  com- 
plain, in  the  situation  I  hold,  of  a  public  letter  being  ad- 
dressed to  me ;  if  I  made  any  complaint  it  might  perhaps 
be  that  you  blame  the  appointment  of  my  Private  Secretary, 

VOL.    I.  II 


482     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xn. 

which  is  the  first  time  such  an  appointment  has  been  re- 
marked on.  General  Macdonald  has  been  a  friend  of  mine 
and  of  all  my  family  for  many  years,  and  is  it  not  natural 
that  I  should  appoint  his  son  to  a  situation  quite  uncon- 
nected with  politics  ? 8  I  think  also  that  you  will,  on  consider- 
ation, see  that  you  have  allowed  me  a  very  long  time  when 
you  name  my  appointment  as  two  months  old.  I  have  not 
read  the  article  in  the  Globe  to  which  you  allude,  but  you 
may  be  assured  that  the  Government  are  as  anxious  as 
you  can  be  to  forward  the  Corporation  business,  and  the 
Editor  must  be  mistaken  in  what  he  has  written,  and  he 
actually  writes  without  authority.  Pray  never  apologise 
for  your  private  letters. — Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir, 

Yours  much  obliged, 

DUNCANNON. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 
(Private.)  22  Parliament  Street :  [about  1834]. 

My  dear  Lord, — I  must  go  off  for  Dublin  early  to- 
morrow (Friday),  and  earnestly  beg  of  you  to  give  me  five 
minutes'  conversation  this  evening  in  the  House.  I  will  be 
there  from  four  until  seven. 

Surely,  surely  the  Attorney-General  is  not  to  be  allowed 
to  drive  the  people  into  rebellion  for  the  benefit  of  his 
clients  ?  This,  really,  is  going  too  far,  to  allow  a  Counsel 
to  aid  his  clients  by  means  of  his  official  station.  Ireland 
had,  I  thought,  suffered  every  degradation  that  unjust 
power  could  hitherto  invent,  but  there  remained,  it  seems, 
this  one — the  lending  her  armed  force  to  a  Counsel  that 
his  fees  as  a  professional  man  might  abound. 

Pardon  me  for  thus  expressing  my  indignation.  I 
would  not  do  so  if  I  were  not  most  unaffectedly  desirous  of 
assisting,  as  far  as  I  could,  to  give  the  Ministry  to  which 
you  belong  the  most  effectual  support  in  my  poor  power  in 
Ireland.  I  want  to  stand  excused  at  least  in  your  candid 
judgment  for  the  course  I  must  take  if  the  Irish  Govern- 

8  O'Connell,  on  August  30,  1834,       his  private  secretary  a  rank  Tory, 
made  reference   to   a  rumour  that      Alas,  poor  Ireland  !  ' 
*  Lord  Duncannon  had  chosen  for 


1834 


A  MOUNTAIN  HUNT 


483 


ment  continues  to  disgust  its  friends,  to  support  its  enemies, 
and  to  withhold  any  relief  from  the  people. 

Your  very  faithful  Servant, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  12th  September,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  have  only  to  wish  that  you  may 
not  be  over-sanguine  in  your  expectations.  One  year  more 
of  struggle  will  bring  us  to  the  end  of  our  anxieties.  The 
battle  of  Ireland  is  being  well  fought.  It  is  one  great  step 
to  have  Blackburne  out,  and  Perrin  in  as  Attorney-General.9 
The  Orangeists  will  not  act  with  or  for  the  latter  as  they 
did  for  the  former,  and  Lord  Anglesey  would  not  have  been 
able,  without  Blackburne,  to  make  the  unpopular  fight  he 
did,  in  his  attacks  on  the  press.  Blackburne  was  the  main- 
stay of  Orangeism  at  the  Castle. 

I  abandon  for  the  present  all  idea  of  '  Manses  and 
Glebes,'  but  I  trust  the  day  is  not  distant  when  the  subject 
may  be  revived  with  better  temper. 

Barrett  is  here,  enjoying  the  mountain  breezes.  We 
have  just  come  in  from  hunting  and  killing  in  high  style  a 
brace  of  hares. 

Yours,  .&e., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  2d  Oct.  1834. 

My  Lord, — The  enclosed  letter,1  signed  by  a  person  of 
the  name  of  Monteith,  is  upon  so  interesting  a  subject  as 
the  life  of  a  human  being 2 ;  and  although  I  know  nothing  of 

9  Blackburne  consented  to  accept 
the  Judgeship  vacant  by  the  death 
of  Jebb;  but  O'Connell  errs  in  as- 
suming that  Perrin  had  now  become 
Attorney-General.  Crampton,  as 
Solicitor-General,  was  next  in  pro- 
motion. Perrin  refused  to  allow 
Crampton  to  be  put  above  him,  and 
declared  that  he  would  not  vacate 
his  seat  in  Parliament  for  any  office 
lower  than  that  of  Attorney-Gene- 


ral. The  Government  thereupon 
requested  Blackburne  to  waive  his 
claim  to  the  vacant  Judgeship,  and 
to  continue  as  Attorney-General. 
(See  Life  of  Blackburne,  by  his  son, 
p.  89.) 

1  Not  forthcoming. 

2  It    appears,   on    search    being 
made  in  the  archives  of  the  Home 
Office,  that   Richard  Hill   was   the 
convict  under  sentence  of  death.    An 

i  i  2 


484     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xn. 


the  case  or  of  the  writer,  I  yet  feel  myself  bound  to  submit 
that  letter  for  your  consideration.  This  is  certainly  the 
most  painful  and  the  most  awful  part  of  your  public  duty ; 3 
but  may  I  be  allowed  to  conjecture  that  you  never  will 
regret  having  advised  the  milder  course.  One  mistake  on 
the  other  side  is  not  easily  forgotten. 

The  public  sentiment  is  very  strong  for  the  abolition  of 
Capital  punishment  save  in  cases  of  wilful  murder.  And, 
indeed,  transportation  for  life  is  no  trivial  punishment  for 
any  crime  devoid  of  the  greatest  atrocity.  The  Scotch 
judges,  I  believe,  are  far  from  entering  into  these  sentiments. 

I  avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  return  you  my 
very  sincere  thanks  for  your  kind  letter.  The  tone  of  that 
letter  places  me  under  great  obligation  to  you,  and  makes 
me  doubly  regret  having  introduced  anything  into  my  pub- 
lications relative  to  your  private  secretary.  Surely  I  must 
have  seen  the  same  sentiment  expressed  in  some  newspaper, 
else  I  could  not  have  known  anything  about  the  matter. 
But,  at  all  events,  I  am  sincerely  sorry  for  having  alluded 
to  it,  and  I  hope  you  will  pardon  it,  as  I  certainly  did  not 
intend  to  exceed  the  license  fairly  allowed  to  a  public  writer. 

The  Irish  public  are,  of  course,  waiting  with  impatience 
to  know  when  you  will  begin  to  do  anything  for  Ireland. 
You  perceive  that  as  yet  the  Irish  are  in  no  degree  the  better 
for  the  recent  changes.  The  Orange  is  as  predominant  in 
all  official  situations  as  ever  it  was.  The  seat  on  the  bench 
remains  to  be  filled.4  Now  I  fear  for  the  mode  in  which  it 
will  be  filled.  At  all  events  you  have  as  yet  done  nothing 
that  the  public  do  or  can  know,  and  another  long  month  is 
now  to  be  added  to  the  former  two.  I  for  my  part  can 
conjecture  only  one  difficulty.  Your  colleagues  are  afraid 
to  do  justice  to  Ireland.  They  fear  that  if  justice  were  done 

examination  of  the  papers  in  this 
case  shows,  that  in  consequence  of 
influential  representations  to  Lord 
Duncannon,  and  the  production  of 
further  evidence  as  to  the  character  of 
Mrs.  Brunton,  the  principal  witness 
against  Hill,  the  sentence  of  death 
was  commuted  to  transportation  for 


life.  O'Connell's  correspondent  was 
Mr.  William  Mcnteith,  of  Glasgow. 
His  lengthy  letter  need  not  be  ob- 
truded here. 

3  As  Home  Secretary. 

4  Philip  Cecil  Crampton  was  ap- 
pointed Justice  of  the  King's  Bench 
on  October  21,  1834. 


1834  MINISTERIAL  APATHY  485 

the  faction  which  to  a  certain  extent  favours  the  British 
to  the  exclusion  of  Irish  power  would  desert  that  post  and 
thus  give  additional  strength  to  the  Eepeal  party ;  whereas 
the  fact  is,  that  the  strength  of  the  Eepeal  party  consists 
in  the  torpor,  the  apathy,  or,  worse,  the  hostility  of  the 
Government  evinced  towards  the  People  of  Ireland. 

See  how  all  the  Orange  party  are  acting.  See  how  well 
the  popular  party  are  conducting  themselves.  I  have  got 
the  political  Unions  to  remain  quiescent.  I  have,  by  the 
promise  of  a  future  liberal  club,  prevented  the  present  for- 
mation of  that  or  more  active  public  bodies.  You  may  still 
conciliate  the  Irish  people,  but  certainly  not  by  doing  nothing 
towards  that  object.  Do  not  flatter  yourselves  that  the 
dismissal  of  Mr.  Cross  will  be  accepted  as  any  part  of  the 
payment  of  the  debt  you  owe  the  Irish  nation.5  No,  you 
must  discard  plentifully,  or  you  do  nothing. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  '  the  Popular  party '  require 
nothing  for  themselves.  They  only  ask  the  discountenancing 
of  your  enemies  as  well  as  of  them.  Look  at  any  County 
in  Ireland,  and  I  defy  you  to  point  out  any  one  in  which 
the  Orange  Tories  are  not  in  everything  the  favoured, 
caressed  and  courted  of  the  Irish  government.  It  is  so  in 
Kerry ;  it  is  so  in  every  other  county.  And  then  the  batch 
of  Parson-justices  of  the  peace.  But  if  you  were  to  begin 
in  Dublin  :  if  you  were  to  get  rid  of  Blackburne — on  the 
bench  or  off;  if  you  were  once  rid  of  him,  then,  indeed, 
you  would  begin  to  inspire  your  friends  with  hope,  your 
enemies  with  despair. 

I  had  no  notion  that  I  could  so  long  keep  down  active 
agitation  by  the  popular  party.  But  I  perceive  that  there 
is  more  of  tact  in  the  public  than  I  could  have  believed. 
They  see,  as  I  do,  that  our  business  is  to  allow  the  Orange 
faction  to  display  its  hostility  to  the  Government,  and  to 
be  able  hereafter  either  to  praise  the  Government  for  sup- 

5  In  October,  1834,  Philip  Cross,  as  a  magistrate  for  an  assault  on  a 

a   justice  of   the   county  Cork,  and  local  farmer.     Cross  acted  as  tithe- 

the  father  of  Dr.  Cross,  executed  in  collector  for  the  Rev.  Mr.  Beresford, 

1887    for   poisoning    his    wife,    was  and  had  been  brought  into  frequent 

committed  to  prison  and  superseded  collision  with  the  people. 


486     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xn. 

pressing  that  faction,  or  to  triumph  over  the  Government 
in  the  estimation  of  all  rational  men  by  shewing  that  the 
Ministry  have  not  the  courage  to  discountenance  their 
enemies  even  whilst  they  were  insulted  by  that  enemy. 

Chief  Justice  Bushe  attributed  the  Union  to  an  in- 
tolerance on  the  part  of  Britain  of  Irish  prosperity.  I  begin 
to  fancy  that  the  sentiment  still  prevails.  Lord  Grey  and 
Stanley  acted  as  if  they  were  animated  by  it  without  them- 
selves being  conscious  that  they  were  so.  I  fear  that 
Lord  Melbourne  and  Lord  Lansdowne  (his  Irish  estates 
notwithstanding)  are  actuated  by  similar  motives. 

But  conjectures  are  wearisome  and  useless ;  facts  are 
alone  to  be  relied  on.  And  it  is  a  fact  that  the  popular 
party  in  Ireland  have  not,  since  this  Ministry  was  formed, 
done  one  act  to  embarrass  them  ;  that  the  Orange  faction 
in  Ireland  has  done  everything  to  embarrass  the  Ministry 
and  disturb  the  country;  and  oh,  most  strange  and  dis- 
heartening conclusion,  that  the  popular  party  are  every- 
where discountenanced,  and  the  Orange  party  are  every- 
where countenanced,  encouraged,  promoted,  and  stuffed  into 
every  official  situation ! 

I  do  not  presume  to  ask  you  in  your  official  capacity, 
but  I  implore  you  to  ask  yourself,  is  this  System  ever  to  be 
changed  ?  and  if  it  be,  why  should  not  a  beginning,  a  de- 
monstration be  made  of  such  change  ? 

But  with  all  your  excellent  intentions  I  ask  in  vain. 
Lord  Anglesey  changed  little  or  nothing  of  the  Old  System 
except  the  acting  upon  that  system  with  rather  more  vigour 
than  his  predecessors.  Your  Ministry  have  taken  up  and 
continued  all  the  errors  of  Lord  Anglesey's  government,  and 
there  is  as  little  appearance  now  of  any  amelioration  as  if 
Peel  and  Goulburn  were  still  in  management  of  this  country. 

I  write  in  no  spirit  of  hostility,  but  in  great  and  bitter 
regret. 

I  beg  of  you,  however,  my  Lord,  to  be  assured  of  the 
respect  and  gratitude  with  which  I  have  the  honour  to  be, 
Your  Lordship's  most  faithful  Servant, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


1834  WILLIAM  COBBETT  487 


To  Richard  Barrett. 

(Private.)  Darrynane  Abbey  :  2nd  Oct.  1834. 

My  dear  Barrett, — Tell  Staunton  I  got  his  letter  and 
will  readily  preside  at  a  dinner  for  the  Monks  of  Latrappe.6 
But  it  is  not  possible  for  me  to  fix  the  time,  as  the  period 
of  my  return  to  Dublin  depends  on  the  Custom  House  trial, 
which,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  is  not  likely  to  come  on. 

Cobbett  is  bothered  upon  Poor  Laws.  He  says  they 
were  not  complained  of  as  producing  mischief  for  near  300 
years.  He  is  quite  ignorant,  they  have  been  complained 
of  for  near  half  that  time,  and  the  '  Great  Rebellion,'  as 
Cromwell's  wars  are  called,  rendered  the  effects  of  the  Poor 
Laws  almost  imperceptible  for  near  50  years  more.  Cob- 
bett advocates  the  very  worst  part  of  the  system — that  which 
interferes  with  the  rate  of  wages. 

He  says  that  Poor  Laws — English  Poor  Laws  exist  in 
America  without  complaint.  Ignorance  again.  They  are 
most  loudly  complained  of  in  America,  and  are  producing 
the  most  mischievous  effects,  notwithstanding  the  far 
greater  demand  for  labour  there  than  in  any  European 
country. 

Cobbett,  as  an  Englishman,  would  not  be  sorry  to  put 
the  Irish  on  the  wrong  scent,  and  to  prevent  them  from 
discussing  the  Repeal. 

I  mean  to  send  you  by  the  post  of  Saturday  another 
and  a  short  letter  to  Mr.  Crawford,  to  conclude  what  I  have 
to  say  on  the  subject  of  tithes.  I  like  much  your  style  of 
attack  on  Cobbett.  Be  as  civil  as  possible,  and  merely 
protest  against  the  taking  off  of  attention  from  the  Repeal; 
that  is,  impute  no  motives,  but  argue  as  much  as  you 
please. 

There  is  nothing  certain  with  respect  to  the  Law 
changes — nothing  at  all.  I  have  this  from  excellent 
authority.  Perrin,  between  you  and  me,  has  as  yet — that  is, 

6  A  branch  of  this  Carthusian  Order  had  lately  been  established  at 
Mount  Melleray,  co.  Waterford. 


488     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xn. 

two  days  ago — had  no  communication  on  the  subject  of  any 
kind  whatsoever. 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  Richard  Barrett. 

(Private.)  Darrynane  Abbey  :  llth  Oct.  1834. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  entirely  agree  with  your  view  of 
the  recent  changes.  How  much  better  would  it  have  been 
if  O'Loghlen  7  had  also  refused  to  act  under  Blackburne. 
But  I  am  not  surprised  that  he  took  the  office,  and  although 
I  wish  he  had  avoided  it,  I  cannot,  strange  as  it  may 
appear,  feel  sorry  that  he  has  the  situation  of  Solicitor- 
General.  Perrin  behaved  nobly.  I  wrote  to  him  tender- 
ing any  support  hi  my  power  in  case  he  should  want  a 
re-election.  The  conduct  of  Lord  Duncannon  in  consenting 
to  have  Blackburne  continued  is  actually  atrocious,  and 
demonstrates  that  we  have  nothing  to  expect  from  him. 
Perhaps  it  is — nay,  I  am  convinced  it  is  all  for  the  better. 
The  Bepeal  gains  by  it. 

I  had  written  the  far  greater  part  of  my  4th  letter 
when  the  news  of  the  Legal  appointments  reached  me.  I 
do  not  know  when  I  felt  more  of  political  disgust  than  I  did 
with  the  present  Ministry.  Nothing  could  be  more  foolish 
than  their  conduct.  To  make  Crampton,  with  all  his  in- 
efficiencies and  total  lack  of  principle,  a  judge,  is  terrific ; 
to  continue  Blackburne  in  the  office  of  Attorney-General ; 
to  nominate  Green  8  to  the  Sergeantcy — all — all  are  in 
the  very  worst  spirit.  Who  is  it  that  is  honest  and  will 
not  allow  that  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  do  anything  for 
Ireland  without  a  domestic  Legislature  ? 

Believe  me  always, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

7  Serjeant    Michael     O'Loghlen  Master  of  the  Eolls,  may  be  seen  in 

had  now  become  Solicitor-General.  the  Hall  of  the  Four  Courts,  Dublin. 
He  and  Staunton  left  Clare  together,  8  Richard  Wilson   Green,   after- 

when  boys,  to  seek  their  fortune.    A  wards  Baron, 
fine   monument   of    O'Loghlen,    as 


1834  A   GOOD   CHANCE  LOST  489 

To  Lord  Duncannon. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  llth  October,  1834. 

My  Lord, —  .  .  .  The  popular  party  in  Ireland  sus- 
pended the  pursuit  of  the  objects  of  their  most  dear  and 
most  enthusiastic  solicitude,  lest  they  should  embarrass  your 
Government  in  any  way.  There  were  no  public  meetings 
of  the  popular  party,  no  political  unions  revived ;  scarce 
did  the  '  Liberal  Clubs '  start  into  existence  here  and  there. 
We  abided,  in  respectful  expectation,  your  time  to  begin 
to  act  with  common  sense  and  common  honesty  towards 
the  Irish  people.  Alas,  alas  !  with  what  fatuity  have  you 
deceived  us  !  Yet,  it  seems  incredible,  but  it  is  literally 
true,  that  your  Attorney-General  is  not  only  a  favourite 
with,  but  actually  the  idol  of,  that  party  who  hate  the 
present  Ministers  so  intensely  !  Was  there  ever  before 
anything  like  this  heard  of  ?  The  death  of  Jebb  gave  you 
an  opportunity  which,  if  there  were  amongst  you  one  re- 
deeming political  virtue,  would  have  been  gladly  seized  on. 
You  could  have,  if  you  pleased,  thrown  round  the  Attorney- 
General  the  neutrality  of  the  Bench,  and  easily  removed 
him  to  the  Common  Pleas,  where,  as  a  lawyer,  remote  from 
politics,  he  would  have  had  abundant  occasion  to  be  useful. 
But  you  prefer  to  keep  him  in  his  office,  so  influential  over 
all  the  details  of  the  administration  of  justice. 

I  turn  with  reluctance  to  another  part  of  your  arrange- 
ments. I  speak  of  it  with  pain  and  sorrow,  without  the 
possibility  of  resentment.  I  almost  weep  whilst  I  write. 
You  have  made  Philip  Crampton  a  judge  !  Well !  well ! ! 
well ! !  !  Do  you  think  the  public  will  forget  the  debate  on 
the  Irish  Jury  Bill,  in  which  the  learned  Member  for 
Milborne  Port — for  that  was  Mr.  Crampton's  then  de- 
scription— had  his  law  so  harshly  handled  by  Sugden  and 
Scarlett,  so  that  even  Stanley  conceded  the  amelioration  of 
the  Bill  to  me,  instead  of  sustaining  his  law-officer  ?  But, 
above  all,  can  the  public  ever  forget  the  exhibition  made 
by  the  same  learned  member,  of  legal  and  constitutional 


490     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN  ELL     CH.  xii. 

lore,  when  he  was  so  violently  upset  by  Sir  Charles 
Wetherell,  and  so  unceremoniously  thrown  overboard  by 
Lord  Althorp  ?  There  was  a  period  in  Irish  history  in 
which  the  Bench  as  well  as  the  jury-box  were  packed  with 
furious  and  dishonest  partisans.  That  period  is  past,  but 
it  has  left  behind  it  one  recollection — it  is  of  the  fact  that 
there  never  was  a  period  in  which  it  was  so  unsafe  to  pub- 
lish the  truth  respecting  the  administration  of  justice  in 
Ireland  as  at  that  very  time  when  the  judges  were  dishonest 
and  the  jurymen  partial.  I,  too,  can  be  silent.  Oh !  I 
had  nearly  forgotten  that  with  the  left-handed  dexterity  of 
the  Whigs  you  conceive  all  is  well  again  because  you  have 
appointed  O'Loghlen  to  the  post  of  Solicitor-General.  This 
is  just  what  that  most  unwise  Lord  Anglesey  thought  when 
he  made  Joy  Chief  Baron  and  Doherty  Chief  Justice, 
because  he  at  the  same  time  made  O'Loghlen  a  Serjeant. 
Than  O'Loghlen  a  more  amiable  man  never  lived — a  more 
learned  lawyer,  a  more  sensible  and  discreet,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  a  more  powerful  advocate  never  belonged  to  the 
Irish  bar.  He  never  made  an  enemy,  he  never  lost  a 
friend.  I  esteem  him,  I  love  him  as  a  son  or  a  brother. 
He  possesses  in  an  eminent  degree  all  the  best  judicial 
qualities.  His  appointment  was,  therefore,  a  most  excellent 
one ;  but  recollect,  the  office  you  have  given  him  now  is 
scarcely  a  promotion.  He  was  already  second  King's 
Serjeant,  and  the  first  Serjeant  had  declared  that  he  never 
would  accept  a  seat  on  the  Bench.  Besides,  the  Solicitor- 
General  has  no  part  of  the  control  of  the  public  business. 
You  have,  therefore,  given  O'Loghlen  a  different  office ;  but 
neither  a  promotion  nor  a  situation  in  which  he  can  be 
useful  to  the  country.  In  fact,  his  appointment  is  no  evi- 
dence of  that  favorable  change  in  the  system  which  is  the 
great  all  which  the  public  desired.  It  has  been  said  that 
O'Loghlen  ought  not  to  serve  under  Blackburne.  I  doubt 
my  own  judgment  when  I  differ  in  anything  from  my 
amiable  and  highly- gifted  friend.  I  certainly  should  not 
have  been  sorry  if  he  had  refused  the  office,  but  I  cannot 
be  sorry  at  any  step  in  profession  which  advances  so  worthy 


1834  A   GBAVE  INDICTMENT  491 

and  exemplary  a  man.  However,  you  can  derive  no  advan- 
tage from  his  selection.  You  have  Blackburne  in  front — 
your  political  guide  in  Ireland  ;  you  have  Crampton  on  the 
Bench ;  and  you  bring  up  the  rear  with  Mr.  Eichard  Wilson 
Greene  as  your  new  Serjeant ! 9  Thus  it  is  that  you  have 
squandered  this  precious  opportunity — chance,  accidents, 
and  events  favour  you — and  all  are  thrown  away  or  made 
subservient  to  the  interests  of  your  enemies  and  of  the 
enemies  of  Ireland.  Of  what  value  is  it  to  Ireland  that 
Earl  Grey  should  have  retired,  if  he  has  left  to  his  succes- 
sors the  same  proud  hatred  he  appeared  to  entertain 
towards  the  Irish  nation  ?  Are  the  representatives  of  that 
sentiment  predominant  in  the  Cabinet  ?  Know  that  Lord 
John  Kussell  cherishes  feelings  of  a  similar  description. 
Ireland,  in  the  unjust  and  disgraceful  scantiness  of  her 
Eeform  Bill,  deeply  felt  that  hostility.  I  know — and  every- 
body knows — that  Lord  Melbourne  wants  sufficient  power 
of  mind  to  enable  him  to  comprehend  the  favourable 
opportunities  afforded  him  to  conciliate  the  popular  party 
—that  is,  Ireland.  In  plain  truth,  my  Lord,  it  is  quite 
manifest  that  Lord  Melbourne  is  utterly  incompetent  for 
the  high  office  he  holds.  It  is  lamentable  to  think  that  the 
destinies  of  the  Irish  people  should  depend  in  any  degree 
on  so  inefficient  a  person.  Lord  Lansdowne,  too,  is  hostile 
to  Ireland,  with  a  hatred  the  more  active  and  persevering, 
because  he  is  bound  by  every  obligation  to  entertain  dia- 
metrically opposite  sentiments.  In  fact,  I  perceive,  and  most 
bitterly  lament,  that  none  of  you  have  the  moral  courage 
to  do  justice  to  Ireland.  You  do  not  act  in  the  government 
of  Ireland  upon  the  principles  of  common  sense  and  common 
political  honesty.  A  gentleman  who  was  once  in  an  office 
of  great  importance  in  Ireland  told  me  that  it  was  idle  for 
me  to  expect  the  British  Ministry  to  do  justice  to  the  claims 
of  the  Irish  people — that  they  durst  not  do  so.  I  am  quite 
sure  the  "Whigs  have  not  the  moral  courage  to  act  by  the 
Irish  nation  as  they  have  done  by  the  people  of  Scotland 
and  of  England.  You  are  now  three  months  in  office,  and 

9  Poor  Greene  eventually  went  out  of  his  mind. 


492     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

you  have  done  nothing  for  Ireland  ;  you  have  not  in  any, 
even  the  slightest,  degree  altered  the  old  system.  The 
people  are  as  ground  down  by  Orange  functionaries  as  ever 
they  were  in  the  most  palmy  days  of  Toryism.  .  .  . 

You  are  a  much  better  Kepealer  than  I  am.  Your 
conduct  and  that  of  your  colleagues  has  made  the  people 
more  inveterate  for  Eepeal  than  any  arguments  or  exertions 
of  mine  could  possibly  do. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  llth  Oct.  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  do  not  exactly  know  what  to 
do  with  myself.  I  greatly  fear  you  over  rate  the  public 
sentiment  on  my  behalf,  and  rely  too  much  on  the  dex- 
terity of  your  arrangements,1  which,  although  in  them- 
selves admirable,  cannot  supply  the  want  which  I  fear 
exists  in  the  '  public  heart.'  It  seems  to  me  that  your 
letters  since  your  recent  trip  have  less  of  the  confidence  of 
success  than  formerly.  Am  I  mistaken  ? 

Look  out  for  a  person  of  the  name  of  John  Holmes, 
living  at  47  Bolton  Street,  and  give  him  five  guineas  I 
owe  him.  It  was  a  fee  which  I  did  not  earn.  .  .  . 

The  law  appointments  are  quite  characteristic  of  the 
scoundrel  Whigs.  They  could  not  have  done  worse,  else 
they  would  contrive  to  do  so,  I  warrant  them.  It  is 
frightful  to  think  of  their  putting  Crampton  on  the  Bench. 
I  could  wish  that  O'Loghlen  had  refused  the  office  under 
Blackburne,  although  I  am  not  sorry  to  see  him  Solicitor- 
General.  Perrin  has  behaved  as  became  him.  I  wrote  to 
Perrin  to  offer  him  any  aid  in  my  power,  on  his  becoming 
Attorney-General,  to  have  him  returned  for  Monaghan.2 

Send  me,  pray,  by  return,  Tait  for  October,  the 
Catholic  Magazine,  and  the  Westminster  Review. 

1  In    organising   the    O'Connell      who  presided  at  O'Connell's  trial  in 
Tribute.  1844. 

2  Mr.  Perrin  was  one  of  the  Judges 


1834  '  THE  ANGLER   IN  IRELAND '  493 

I  am  arranging  my  Agitation  Plans,  so  as  to  baffle  the 
present  mean  and  miserable  Administration.  But  at  pre- 
sent the  Orange  faction  is  really  doing  our  business. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  17th  Octr.  1834.3 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Your  letter  of  last  night  was 
truly  gratifying.  What  should  I  have  been  able  to  achieve 
but  for  you?  I  must  have  retired  from  the  struggle  for 
Ireland,  and  sunk  into  a  mere  professional  drudge.  May 
God  bless  you,  and  direct  me  !  .  .  . 

I  am  sure  Barrett  "will  not  be  such  a  blockhead  as  to 
take  any  notice  of  the  rascally  abuse  in  the  Freeman.  He 
never  would  hear  an  end  of  their  ruffianism  if  he  did.  It 
will  ruin  the  paper  with  the  public.  Tell  him  I  have 
written  8  pages  of  my  first  letter  to  Lord  Durham,  and 
hope  to  send  him  some  by  Sunday's  post.  I  will  be  able 
to  do  so  unless  to-morrow  be  a  very  fine  day  for  hunting. 
Tell  him  also  that  he  is  quite  mistaken — '  The  Angler  in 
Ireland '  is  not  the  English  Barrister  Allen,  whom  I  never 
saw,  but  a  Parson  of  the  name  of  Bilton.  Indeed,  if  he 
had  looked  to  the  dates,  he  would  have  seen  that  '  BiltonV 
visit  here  was  last  year,  and  Allen  came  to  the  country 
only  in  the  present.  This  vagabond  Parson  imagines  he 
was  so  important  a  personage  that  /  was  playing  off  to 
court  his  high  and  mighty  smiles.  Bah  !  I  will  hit  the 

Observer  for  his  tale  of  0 M .  It  is  indeed  quite 

foolish,  as  a  mode  of  sustaining  his  reason  for  my  hating 
Gossett,  that  I  was  guilty  of  perfidy,  and  that  Gossett 
detected  me.  Besides,  if  I  offered  Gossett  to  procure  in- 
formations against  any  man  in  the  community,  and  he 
refused  to  have  them  received,  he  would  give  me  a  direct 
opportunity  to  impeach  his  conduct.4  The  whole  story  is 

3  O'Connell    little   dreamt   that,  '  Sir  William  Gossett  was  Under 

while    he    wrote    this    letter,   both       Secretary  at  Dublin  Castle. 
Houses  of  Parliament  were  in  flames. 


494     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON  NELL    CH.  xn. 

a  mere  colour  given  to  the  fact  that  several  freeholders 
who  promised  to  vote  for  Maurice 5  were  visited  in  the  night 
by  Terry  Alts,6  or  persons  pretending  so  to  be,  and  sworn 
not  to  vote  for  him,  and  of  my  undisguised  efforts  to  pro- 
cure legal  evidence  against  the  perpetrators. 

Always  yours,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

P.S.  M was   named  in   my  correspondence  with 

Stanley.     Let  nobody  deny  this. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  17th  Oct.  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  wrote  to  you  this  morning  a 
letter  containing  a  statement  with  reference  to  the  Observer's 

charge  against  0 M .     I  have   seen  that  charge 

since,  and  now  write  to  beg  of  you  not  to  mention  to  any  one 
the  contents  of  my  letter  relative  to  that  subject.  The  story 
in  the  Observer  is  a  perfect  lie,  but  say  nothing  that  can 
get  into  print  on  this  subject,  as  the  Reporter  is  the  paper 
in  which  I  will  publish  my  contradiction  of  the  story. 

Tell  Barrett7  from  me  to  spare  that  poor  creature  Malachy 
Fallen.  He  has  a  wife,  and  probably  a  family,  and  nothing 
to  eat.  I  beg  of  Barrett  to  spare  him  for  my  sake,  and  I 
make  it  a  point  that  he  and  you  will  conceal  that  this 
forbearance  is  at  my  request.  It  would  look  like  hypocrisy 
if  it  were  known  that  I  interfered.  I  do  therefore  make  it 


3  His   son,   afterwards   M.P.  for 
Tralee. 

6  An  agrarian  body  illegally  com- 
bined,  who    protested    against  the 
high  price  of  land.     It  was  hard  to 
account  for  the   origin   of   '  Terry 
Alt,'  which  some  might  say  meant 
high  land. 

7  '  Eichard     Barrett     was     the 
greatest  scold  after  Barnes  of   the 
Times?   remarked   Carew  O'Dwyer, 
addressing  the  present  writer.      An 
illustration  of  this  quality  is  afforded 
by  the  fact  that  Barrett  accused  Eobt. 


Holmes  of  being  a  hunks,  who  for 
every  guinea  he  got  spent  merely 
the  shilling  and  hoarded  the  pound. 
Holmes  challenged  him.  Barrett 
replied  that,  having  a  wife  and  a  large 
family  depending  on  him  for  bread, 
he  did  not  conceive  that  he  was  bound 
to  risk  his  life  to  gratify  an  enemy. 
Holmes  then  wrote  a  stinging  letter, 
of  which  the  pith  was  that  this  con- 
sideration need  not  deter  him,  for 
he  solemnly  promised,  in  case  Barrett 
fell,  to  settle  a  fair  annuity  on  his 
family. 


1834  A  DILEMMA  495 

a  point  that  you  and  Barrett  will  literally  comply  with  what 
I  ask.  I  will  take  it  as  a  proof  of  real  kindness.8 

Yours  always, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  Richard  Barrett. 
(Private.)  Darrynane  Abbey  :  21st  Oct.  1834. 

My  dear  Barrett, — I  feel  the  dilemma  in  which  the 
scoundrel  in  the  Observer  has  thrown  your  case  with 

M .  But  the  story  itself,  as  told  by  him,  is  a  lie.  The 

fellow,  however,  has  sources  of  discovering  all  the  facts, 
as  he  is  an  eleve  of  Stanley,  with  whom  I  was  in  cor- 
respondence about  the  Clare  election  and  the  conduct  of 
the  arch  miscreant.  I  have,  of  course,  found  it  necessary 
to  put  in  an  answer  through  the  Southern  Reporter,  but  in 
my  letter  I  have  treated  the  matter  contemptuously ;  but 

take  care  to  say  enough  to  satisfy  M 's  friends  of  the 

falsehood.  I  have  then,  with  professional  tact — or  call  it 
artifice — made  a  violent  attack  on  the  Courier  for  another 
lie,  and  thrown  off  as  much  as  possible  the  public  attention 
to  the  other  scent. 

Your  play  is  to  assail  the  Courier  also,  just  discreetly 

talking  of  the  falsehood  of  my  accusing  M to  Gossett. 

But  be  discreet  in  that. 

I  entirely  agree  with  Pigot 9  on  the  subject  of  agitation. 
We  are  not  strong  enough  yet,  nor  can  we  be  whilst  the 
Orange  fury  keeps  together  so  large  a  portion  of  the  upper 
classes  in  virulent  hostility.  It  is  best  to  allow  that  candle 
to  burn  itself  out  a  little  more  before  we  attempt  to  out- 
shine it.  The  Government  is  essentially  Orange,  and 
would  readily  put  on  that  cockade  if  it  durst ;  at  all  events, 
it  gives  all  sorts  of  countenance  to  that  party.  Time, 
however,  is  working  for  us ;  men  are  daily  becoming  less 

8  Mr.  Fallen,  to  whom  O'Connell  fortune,   for   within  the    next   few 

refers,   was    a    barrister  ;    but    the  months  he  was  gazetted  to  a  County 

grounds   for  attack   would    possess  Court  Judgeship. 
little  interest  now.     Barrett's  abuse,  9  David  Pigot,  afterwards  Chief 

however,    probably    made  Fallon's  Baron  of  the  Exchequer. 


496     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    en.  xn, 

and  less  scared  at  the  Eepeal,  and  I  do  confidently  expect 
a  superior  class  of  Eepealers  will  soon  join  the  people. 

I  do  not  intend  to  go  to  Dublin  for  at  least  another 
fortnight.     I  will  then  consider  of  my  plans,  and,  you  may 
be  sure,  expose  as  little  point  to  the  enemy  as  I  can. 
Believe  me  always,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell,  in  a  public  letter,  makes  more  clear  the  charge 
preferred  against  him  by  the  Observer.  It  may  be  found 
in  the  Dublin  Evening  Post  of  October  30,  1834.  His 
biographers  are  silent  on  the  point.  The  Observer  had 
sought  to  account  for  his  hatred  of  Sir  W.  Gossett  by  de- 
claring that  this  official  had  detected  him  in  an  attempt  to 
mislead  the  Irish  Government.  '  And  what  is  his  story  of 
this  detection  ? '  asks  O'Connell.  '  1st.  That  I  went  to 
Gossett  and  offered  to  place  in  his  hands  such  information 
as  would  enable  them  to  bring  to  justice  the  leader  of  the 
Terry  Alts.  2ndly.  That  I  called  on  Gossett  not  to  lose 

a   moment  in   arresting  M as   such   person.     3rdly. 

That  Gossett  asked  me  to  make  an  affidavit  of  my  know- 
ledge or  belief  of  the  statement.  4thly.  That  I  refused 
to  do  so,  but  strenuously  urged  the  arrest  of  the  individual/ 
O'Connell  argued,  tliat,  if  this  were  true,  Gossett  ought  in- 
stantly to  be  cashiered  and  be  himself  sent  to  a  lunatic 
asylum.  The  duty  of  Gossett  upon  such  an  offer  would 
have  been  plain.  He  should  have  referred  his  visitor  to 
the  Law-officers  of  the  Crown  or  appointed  a  magistrate  to 
take  in  legal  form  the  informations.  O'Connell  declared 
that,  though  he  once  met  Gossett,  he  would  not  know  him 
again,  and  then  sought  at  considerable  length  to  refute  the 
story.  This  elaborate  defence  might  make  cynics  suspect 
that  the  charge  was  not  wholly  untrue ;  but  the  words  in 
which  O'Connell,  writing  privately  to  his  confidant,  refers 
to  it,  serve  to  show  the  sincerity  of  his  public  denial.  In 
the  following  year  Gossett  was  dislodged  from  Dublin 
Castle  in  favour  of  Drummond,  no  doubt  at  the  instance  of 
O'Connell. 

A  letter  to  Mr.  Sharman  Crawford  on  the  alternative 
methods  of  governing  Ireland,  dated  September  27,  1834, 
will  be  found  in  the  Appendix  to  this  volume. 


1834  A  BENEFACTOR   TO   IRELAND  497 

To  Lord  Durham. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  21st  October,  1834. 

.  .  .  The  real  and  rational  Eeformers  of  England,  in- 
cluding the  great  body  of  the  intelligent  and  active  Dissenters, 
place  much  of  their  hopes  of  the  success  of  the  purest  plans 
for  ameliorating  all  existing  institutions  in  their  thorough 
conviction  of  your  manliness  and  integrity.  The  Eeformers 
of  Scotland,  comprising  the  overwhelming  majority  of  the 
Scotch  people,  '  those  who  cherish  the  spirit  of  the  sturdiest 
independence,  and  a  deadly  hatred  of  all  monopoly  and 
favouritism,'  honour  you  as  their  leader  and  guide,  and 
clearly  perceive  that,  unless  you  mar  your  destiny,  you  will 
work  out  your  own  Eeform  Bill  into  all  the  details  of  im- 
provement which  it  is  calculated,  and  was  intended  by  you, 
at  least,  to  carry  into  practical  effect. 

As  to  Ireland,  my  Lord,  she  has  but  few  benefactors, 
and  you  are  one  of  them.  We  remember  with  heartfelt 
gratitude  that  when  some  of  the  Irish  Peers  betrayed — and 
the  rest  openly  assailed  us — you  stood  alone  in  opposition 
to  the  vile  Coercion  Bill,  even  at  the  time  when  the  Cabinet, 
of  which  your  father-in-law  was  at  the  head,  appeared 
unanimous  in  its  support.  This  is  not  only  an  earnest,  but 
a  proof  that  you  would,  if  you  were  hi  power,  govern  Ireland 
on  precisely  the  same  constitutional  principles  upon  which 
you  would  govern  Great  Britain.  My  Lord,  the  popular 
party  in  Ireland  require  from  you  no  more.  They  will  not, 
and  they  ought  not,  to  be  satisfied  with  less  from  any  man. 
You  are  intolerant  of  recognised  abuses ;  so  are  the  Irish 
people.  You  are  convinced  that  the  Ministry  ought,  with- 
out delay,  to  proceed  to  the  reformation  of  such  abuses  ;  in 
that  also  the  Irish  people  agree  with  you.  You  declare  that 
such  reformation  should  be  achieved  deh'berately  and  cau- 
tiously, but  totally,  and  without  compromise  of  principle ; 
in  that  deliberation  and  caution,  and  in  the  absolute  neces- 
sity of  the  reform  being  complete  in  detail  as  well  as  in 
principle,  the  Irish  people  heartily  concur  with  you.  You 

VOL.  i.  K  K 


498     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN ELL    CH.  xn. 

would  have  no  clipping  or  paring  the  measures  of  reforma- 
tion ;  and  here  again,  as  in  everything  else,  the  Irish  people 
heartily  concur.1 

The  Whigs  would,  I  am  convinced,  have  refused  any 
reform  to  Ireland  if  they  possibly  could.  The  reform  they 
gave  was  stingy,  restricted,  and  insulting.  They  should 
have  given  to  Ireland  the  same  franchises  they  gave  to 
England.  They  should  have  assimilated  the  Irish  with 
the  English  Bill.  The  principle  and  the  practice  of  as- 
similation is  what  I  now  contend  for,  and  I  trust  I  shall 
successfully  contend  for  it,  under  your  auspices.  If  I  can 
help  it,  Ireland  shall  not  be  less  favoured  or  less  free  than 
any  other  portion  of  the  King's  dominions.  Wishing  you, 
my  Lord,  health  and  prosperity,  and  earnestly  conjuring 
you  to  appreciate  your  just  value  to  the  community  at 
large,  and  to  the  cause  of  rational,  deliberate,  uncompro- 
mising and  progressive  reform,  and  to  act  with  the  vigour 
and  decision  befitting  the  station  you  occupy  in  the  public 
mind  and  in  the  public  confidence,  I  have  the  honour  to 
be,  my  Lord, 

Your  most  obedient  Servant, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  28th  October,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  am  very  glad  Barrett  has 
married,  as  you  tell  me  he  has  married,  a  sensible  woman. 
That  is  all  he  wanted.  It  will  make  him  give  up  those 
small  boyishnesses  which  alone  stood  in  his  way.  Give 
him  my  affectionate  congratulations.  How  I  long  to  see 
him  a  leading  conductor  of  the  popular  Press !  Wait  a 
while.  I  do  think  all  is  progressing  well. 

I  expect  to  be  in  Dublin  on  the  20th  of  November.  I 
cannot  longer  defer  my  journey  there,  and  I  am  not  sorry 
for  it.  With  the  sway  which  I  think  I  have  over  the  public 

1  A  number  of  suggestions  are  here  made  which  would  not  possess 
interest  now 


1834  BARRETT'S  'ABSENCE'  499 

mind  I  do  imagine  confidently  that  I  need  not  be  afraid  of 
anybody  being  able  to  mislead  any  part  of  the  mass  of 
agitation.  We  must  be  discreet  but  not  acquiescent.  There 
is  a  tone  of  great  utility  if  we  can  keep  it  in  chime.  But 
the  truth  is — in  my  judgment  at  least  it  is  the  truth — that 
events  are  working  for  us  of  themselves  and  are  creating 
a  more  universal  spirit  of  Irishism  than  could  be  produced 
by  the  most  energetic  and  skilful  agitation. 

As  to  Mr.  D and  his  Bank,  it  is  a  bubble  which 

must  necessarily  burst,  and  D will  just  draw  his  hand 

out  of  it  in  time  to  devolve  the  ruin  on  others  if  he  possibly 
can.  He,  however,  may  be  mistaken.  Eecollect  I  tell  you 
his  bank  must  necessarily  break.2  It  is  as  inevitable  as 
the  rising  of  to-morrow's  sun.  Nothing  but  self-interested 
superintendence  of  the  most  vigilant  kind  can  possibly 
sustain  such  a  bank,  and  where  can  that  be  had  in  their 
scheme  ? 

Call  on  the  Eev.  Mr.  Whelan 3  in  Clarendon  Street  and 
tell  him  I  bid  you  give  him  any  money  he  requires  without 
asking  for  what.     Merely  take  his  voucher  for  it. 
Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

O'Connell  calculated  that  Barrett's  marriage  would  cure 
him  of  some  'boyishnesses,'  but  it  is  a  question  whether  the 
experiment  in  his  case  proved  specially  successful. 

Kichard  Barrett  was  formidable  as  a  censor  of  public  men 
and  measures,  and  for  the  astuteness  with  which  he  ex- 
posed jobs,  intrigues,  and  the  plots  of  politicians,  but  out- 
side his  editorial  capacity  he  was  a  child  in  simplicity  and 
at  times  almost  a  fool  in  mental  abstraction.  A  glimpse  of 
Barrett's  menage  may  here  be  given,  furnished  to  the 
present  writer  by  Quinlan,  an  old  journalist,  who  knew  him 
well.  The  awkwardness  of  the  dilemmas  in  which  Barrett's 
'  absence '  involved  him  would  furnish  playwrights  with  good 
material  for  '  situation.'  When  he  became  a  '  Benedict'  he 

2  The  Agricultural  Bank,  which  used  by  Cramer  as  a  piano  store, 
collapsed   soon  after.     The  gentle-  3  Afterwards     Roman     Catholic 

man  in  question  had  been  its  manag-  Bishop  of  Bombay, 
ing  director.    Its  premises  are  now 

K  K  2 


500     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

took  up  his  residence  in  an  old  baronial  hall  several  miles 
from  Dublin ;  all  matters  requisite  for  the  effective  main- 
tenance of  housekeeping  were  daily  written  down  by  Mrs. 
Barrett  upon  a  card  which,  suspended  by  a  string,  her  hus- 
band wore  round  his  neck,  and  on  returning  from  town  the 
required  articles  were  consigned  to  her  care.  Once  when 
preparations  were  being  made  on  a  large  scale  to  entertain 
O'Connell,  Steele,  and  other  popular  celebrities,  Mrs.  Bar- 
rett wrote  her  list  as  usual  and,  passing  it  over  her  husband's 
neck,  urged  him  to  be  more  than  ordinarily  wideawake  in 
attending  to  its  requirements.  Barrett  duly  returned  laden 
with  good  things.  The  company  had  assembled,  and  the 
aroma  of  culinary  preparations  was  diffusing  itself  around 
on  a  cold  November  evening,  when,  to  the  dismay  of  '  Mrs. 
B.,'  the  startling  fact  came  out  that  not  a  single  candle 
remained  in  the  house.  Barrett,  on  being  upbraided  with 
the  oversight,  suggested  in  his  defence  and  despair  that 
candles  could  not  possibly  have  been  on  the  list  or  he  should 
never  have  forgotten  them.  '  Nay,  Eichard,  it  was  the  very 
first,'  replied  his  wife,  '  and  I  remember  it  well  because  I 
wrote  it  just  over  the  hole  through  which  I  passed  the 
string.'  Barrett  remained  sceptical :  he  took  the  list  as 
close  as  possible  to  the  flickering  flame  of  the  fire  in  order 
to  establish  by  documental  evidence  his  wife's  mistake  and 
his  own  correctness.  '  Never,'  observed  Quinlan,  '  can  I 
forget  Barrett's  face  as  the  card  revealed  his  error.  It  was 
like  that  of  a  convicted  felon.'  To  dine  in  the  dark  was  out 
of  the  question,  and  it  became  necessary  to  send  a  man  on 
horseback  for  candles  to  Dublin  ere  dinner  could  be  served. 
To  O'Connell  the  delay  was  most  awkward,  for  he  never 
ate  anything  between  breakfast  and  dinner,  and  he  was 
generally  voracious  when  feeding-time  came. 

Other  traits  of  Barrett's '  absence '  I  heard  from.  Staunton. 
One  morning,  before  starting  for  the  editorial  '  sanctum,' 
Barrett  received  from  his  wife  a  pair  of  socks  to  put  on  in 
case  he  should  get  wet  feet.  A  busy  day  was  passed,  and 
when  driving  home  with  Staunton  that  evening  both  dis- 
missed the  car  at  Blue-Bell,  determining  to  complete  their 
journey  on  foot.  They  had  not  proceeded  far  when  Barrett 
complained  of  pain,  which  at  last  attained  such  intensity 
that  he  was  obliged  to  sit  down.  The  uneasiness  was  at 
first  pleasantly  ascribed  to  a  bunion  which  failed  to  assist 
'the  pilgrim's  progress,'  but  on  reaching  home  Mrs.  Barrett 


1834  THE    TRIBUTE  501 

discovered  that  her  husband  had  inadvertently  pulled  three 
socks  over  one  foot,  thereby  causing  a  vice-like  pressure 
which  his  preoccupied  mind  had  left  unheeded. 

These  ana  are  trifling,  but  the  importance  of  O'Connell's 
correspondence  with  Barrett  helps  to  give  them  an  interest 
they  might  not  otherwise  possess. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  4th  November,  1834. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — This  is  a  moment  of  consider- 
able importance,  and  yet  I  do  not  hear  from  you.  Excuse 
my  impatience.  My  course  is  this.  I  leave  Cahirciveen 
say  Friday,  the  14th,  and  reach  Cork  by  Monday,  the  17th, 
thence  to  Dublin  on  the  19th.  From  that  day  till  the  5th 
of  December  I  will  devote  myself  professionally  to  the 
preparation  for  the  Custom  House  case.4  I  will  then,  please 
God,  return  to  this  country  until  it  is  time  to  go  to  Parlia- 
ment. I,  however,  do  not  mean  to  leave  Dublin  without 
organising  '  agitation '  in  the  most  prudent  and  discreet 
manner  and  putting  it  into  action.  The  great  difficulty  is 
to  avoid  strengthening  the  Orange  faction  by  giving  them 
and  the  rascally  Government  the  same  interest — that  is,  to 
oppose  the  Eepeal.  How  I  execrate  that  faction  for  their 
readiness  to  consent  to  any  degradation  of  Ireland,  provided 
they  but  share  in  the  spoil !  Enough  of  this,  and  more. 

STRICTLY  PRIVATE. — Do  you  not  think  an  advertisement 
or  letter  from  you  as  secretary,  or  from  the  Trustees,  would 
be  necessary  or  useful  to  contradict  the  paragraph  in  The 
Times  of  the  tribute  being  forced  ?  But  I  leave  this  to 
your  own  judgment. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  6th  Novr.  1834. 

Insert  in  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  Morning  Register  an 
advertisement  in  these  words :  '  THE  HALF-NOTE  has  been 
RECEIVED,  3rd  November,  1834  ; '  say  no  more.  It  is,  you 
will  be  glad  to  hear,  privately  another  £100  from,  or  at  least 
in,  the  same  female  handwriting. 

4  The  destruction  of  property  by  fire  at  the  Dublin  Custom  House. 


502     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN ELL    CH.  xn. 

I  felt  unpleasant  at  being  more  than  a  week  without 
hearing  from  you.  I  take  for  granted  that  if  you  had  any 
pleasant  news  you  would  communicate  them,  and  that  you 
are  silent  only  because  you  do  not  wish  to  annoy  me. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  llth  November,  1834. 

The  Dublin  Post  bag  of  Friday  has  not  yet  reached 
Cahirciveen.  There  must  have  been  some  blunder  or  some 
robbery  somewhere.  The  English  papers  and  letters,  the 
Dublin  papers  and  letters,  leaving  Dublin  on  Friday  evening 
are  all  missing.  This  is  no  small  inconvenience  to  me.  Be 
so  good  as  to  call  on  the  secretary  of  the  Post  Office  and 
endeavour  to  have  out  what  has  become  of  these.  Write  to 
me  to  Cork  the  result. 


I  got  your  letter  of  Saturday  last  night.  It  was  con- 
solatory to  me  after  so  long  a  silence. 

My  own  opinion  of  politics  is  to  the  last  degree  favorable 
to  Ireland.  I  do  think  we  are  approaching  a  great  national 
triumph,  and  that  the  Orange  orgies  have  done  us  immense 

good'5  DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

Take  up  the  Mail  of  Friday  and  Monday,  and  keep  it 
for  me.  That  of  Wednesday  send  to  the  Square.6  The 
fact  is,  '  my  women  '  do  not  like  to  read  abuse  of  me. 

'  We  are  all  out :  turned  out  neck  and  crop.  Welling- 
ton is  Prime  Minister,  and  we  give  up  the  seals  to-morrow,' 
writes  Palmerston  to  Temple  on  November  16,  1834.7 

A  Times  leader  (Nov.  14)  concluded  with  these  words : 


5  On  the  announcement  of  the 
fall  of  Lord  Melbourne's  Ministry,  a 
great  meeting  of  Orangemen ,  presided 
over  by  the  Lord  Mayor,  was  held  in 
Dublin.  The  speeches  expressed  un- 
usual ferocity.  It  is  pleasanter  to 
read  some  poetic  stanzas  which  the 
Kev.  Mr.  McCree  delivered  amid 
rounds  of  applause  : — 

The  power  that  nerved  the  stalwart 
arms  of  Gideon's  chosen  few — 


The  power  that  led  great  William, 
Boyne'sreddening  torrent  through; 

In  His  protecting  aid  confide,  and 
every  foe  defy : 

Then  put  your  trust  in  God,  my 
boys,  and  keep  your  powder  dry. 

With  many  more  of  a  similar  spirit 
and  aim. 

6  His  house,  30  Merrion  Square  S. 

7  Life  of  Palmerston,  by  Lytton 
Bulwer  (Lord  Dalling),  vol.  ii.  207. 


1834  «  THE   QUEEN  HAS  DONE  IT  ALL '  503 

'  The  Queen  has  done  it  all.' 8  Lord  Campbell  explains,  with 
the  help  of  correspondence,  that  the  King  had  been  told  by 
Queen  Adelaide  and  the  Court  ladies  about  him,  that  Corpo- 
rate Eeform  '  was  a  most  revolutionary  scheme,  which  would 
be  the  ruin  of  him  and  his  dynasty '  (Life,  vol.  ii.  p.  65). 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Cork  :  17th  Novr.  1834. 

I  have  just  heard  of  the  change  of  Ministry9  and 
a  thousand  reports.  It  is  well  that  we  are  rid  of  the 
humbuggers.  Nous  verrons.  I  am  convinced  all  will  be 
for  the  better. 

I  am — blessed  be  God — in  excellent  health  and  spirits. 
The  Duke  of  Wellington  would  cheer  the  Orangeists,1  but 
his  reign  cannot  last.  I  find  it  idle,  however,  to  speculate 
until  I  know  more  facts. 

On  the  dissolution  of  the  Melbourne  Ministry,  Black- 
burne,  O'Connell's  bete  noire,  resigned  the  Attorney-Gene- 
ralship of  Ireland.  Chief  Baron  Joy,  a  Tory  of  the  old 
school,  whose  promotion  by  the  Whigs  had  greatly  in- 
censed O'Connell,  at  once  wrote  a  private  letter  to  Black- 
burne,  strongly  doubting  the  prudence  of  the  act.  He 
adds  :  '  Those  to  whom  I  have  spoken  of  it  consider  it  as 
an  announcement  that  you  are  become  a  Whig ;  and  that 
this  will  be  generally  considered  so  I  have  little  doubt ;  thus 
the  way  you  have  taken  to  avoid  any  imputation  on  your 

8  Canon  O'Eorke,  in  the  Centen-      honesty  and  fair  dealing  in  man  it 
ary  Memoir  of  O'Connell,  p.   177,      will  not.' 

states  that  this  article  was  written  Joseph  Hume,  M.P.  for  Middle- 
by  Brougham.  sex,  writing  to  O'Connell  (Dec.  18, 

9  The    downfall   of    Lord    Mel-  1834),  says:  'If  the  House  or  the 
bourne's  Government.  people  submit  to  what  Peel  proposes, 

1  The  Duke  had  been  sent  for  by  they  will  deserve  the  execration  of 

the  King  and  requested  to  form  a  the  world.     I  hear  of  not  a  sufficient 

Ministry,  but  he  replied  that,  with-  number  of  changes  to  induce  me  to 

out  the  aid  of  Peel,  who  was  then  in  think  that  they  can  carry  one  vote 

Borne,  it  could  not  be  done.     How-  in  the  House,  and  I  therefore  antici- 

ever,  he  held  the   helm  until  Peel  pate  a  short  reign.     I  hope  you  or 

appeared.      Lord    Anglesey,   whom  some    person  with    authority    and 

O'Connell    so    persistently    abuses,  knowledge  of  past  events  will  answer 

writing   to    Lord    Cloncurry,   asks,  Sir  Robert's  address,  paragraph  by 

'  Can     the     Peel    and    Wellington  paragraph,  and  expose  the  Jesuiti- 

Government  stand?     I  am  sure  it  cal  performance,  so  that  it  may  react 

ought  not,  and  if  there  be  common  against  him.' 


504     COBEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xn. 

political  character  will  be  that  which,  in  the  eyes  of  many, 
will  confirm  it.' 2  Blackburne  took  Joy's  advice  and  con- 
tinued under  Peel  to  act  as  Attorney-General. 

In  the  category  described  as  '  humbuggers '  O'Connell 
included  Lord  Wellesley,  brother  of  the  Duke.  Wellesley 
greatly  disliked  O'Connell.  In  his  will  he  bequeaths  to  his 
secretary,  Mr.  Alfred  Montgomery,  all  his  MSS.,  'And  I 
desire  him  to  publish  such  of  my  papers  as  shall  tend  to 
illustrate  my  two  Administrations  in  Ireland,  and  to  protect 
my  honor  against  the  slander  of  Melbourne  and  his  pillar 
of  state,  O'Connell.'  This,  however,  was  subsequent  to 
'  the  Lichfield  House  compact.' 

Lord  Wellesley  was  succeeded  in  December,  1834,  by 
Lord  Haddington,  who,  when  riding  into  Dublin  from 
Kingstown,  asked  the  meaning  of  '  G.  P.  0.'  inscribed  on 
several  stones  as  he  passed.  'It  means  God  preserve 
O'Connell,'  interposed  a  local  wit.  The  stones  were  mile- 
stones, and  '  G.  P.  0.'  indicated  '  General  Post  Office.' 

O'Connell,  in  his  letter  of  Feb.  21,  1825,  speaks  of  the 
great  pleasure  he  derived  from  having  made  the  personal 
acquaintance  of  Cobbett.  The  latter  soon  after  assailed 
O'Connell  with  much  violence  for  having  consented  to 
certain  securities,  as  an  adjunct  to  Catholic  Emancipation. 
O'Connell  replied  that  on  a  former  occasion  he  called 
Cobbett  a  comical  miscreant,  but  he  now  withdrew  the 
appellation.  '  Cobbett  is  comical  only  when  he  means  to 
be  serious.  When  he  seeks  to  be  jocose  he  is  truly  dole- 
ful; but,  serious  or  jocose,  he  is  at  all  times  a  miscreant.' 
Cobbett,  in  fact,  had  brought  a  charge  of  corruption  against 
O'Connell,  but  finally  withdrew  it.  '  I  impute  to  him 
inordinate  vanity,'  he  said,  '  vanity  greater  than  my  pen 
can  paint.'  In  reply,  O'Connell  said  that  Cobbett  had 

2  Peel's  Cabinet  fell  after  a  few  office  in  1846  Blackburne  was  pro- 
months'  administration,  and  Mel-  moted  to  be  Chief  Justice  of  the 
bourne,  knowing  O'Connell's  opinion  Queen's  Bench  ;  and  on  the  advent  of 
of  Blackburne,  did  not  ask  him  to  Lord  Derby  as  Premier  in  1852  he  be- 
rejoin.  He  resumed  his  practice  at  came  Lord  Chancellor ;  but  hisresig- 
the  bar,  but  on  the  return  of  Peel  nation  was  almost  compelled  by  Lord 
to  power  Blackburne  became  Attor-  Derby  in  March  1867 ;  and  Black- 
ney-General  again.  In  1842  he  ac-  burne,  we  are  told,  regarded  it  as  '  a 
cepted  the  Mastership  of  the  Eolls,  harsh  and  cruel  return  for  his  ab- 
ancl  it  is  stated  in  his  Life  that  to  him  negation  of  self,  and  for  the  sacri- 
is  due  the  proclamation  putting  down  fices  which  he  had  so  cheerfully 
O'Connell's  Monster Kepeal  Meetings  made.'  He  subsequently  declined  a 
— the  avant-courrier  of  his  arrest  and  baronetcy,  and  died  in  the  following 
imprisonment.  Ere  Peel  vacated  September. 


1834  EUPTUEE   WITH  COBBETT  HEALED  505 

outlived  his  intellect.  '  It  cannot  be  said  of  him  that  his 
"  wine  of  life  is  on  the  lees,"  because  wine  is  too  generous  a 
liquor  to  enter  into  the  comparison,  but  his  gin  of  existence 
is  on  the  dregs ;  and  that  fluid  which,  while  it  flowed  clearly, 
was  intoxicating  even  to  madness,  is  now  but  a  muddy 
residuum,  productive  of  nausea  and  incapable  of  giving  one 
exhilarating  sensation.' 

O'Keeffe,  one  of  the  latest  of  O'Connell's  biographers, 
deplores  this  '  ill-omened  quarrel,  because  it  widened  im- 
measurably the  breach  between  the  two  democracies  and 
destined  both  to  thraldom  by  rendering  the  chance  of  their 
union  perfectly  hopeless  '  (ii.  412). 

He  does  not  know  that  the  quarrel  was  at  last  healed. 
Doubtless  motives  of  policy,  quite  as  much  as  the  dictates 
of  a  higher  feeling,  led  O'Connell  to  make  friends  with 
Cobbett  ere  he  died.  The  latter  visited  Ireland  at  this  time. 

To  William  Cobbett,  M.P.3 

Merrion  Square,  Dublin  :  20  Nov.  1834. 

My  dear  Sir, — You  may  imagine  how  I  am  surrounded, 
but  I  am  most  desirous  to  see  you.  It,  however,  must  (for 
reasons)  be  HERE.  I  want  to  thank  you  most  heartily  for  all 
the  good,  the  unmixed  good,  you  have  done  for  Ireland,  and 
the  still  greater  good  your  visit  and  your  knowledge  of  the 
state  of  this  country  must  produce.  I  will  be  at  home  all 
the  evening  and  all  the  morning  to-morrow ;  and  all  the 
time — anglice- — any  time  you  choose.  Accept  my  warmest 
thanks  in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  Ireland,  and  believe 
me  always,  with  sincere  regard,  Yours  faithfullyj 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

A  subsequent  letter,  marked  '  Private,'  tells  Cobbett 
that  he  wronged  him  in  announcing  in  the  Register  that 
his  bank  had  failed.  Cobbett,  in  fact,  had  confounded 
O'Connell's  bank  with  another.4  He  explains  how  different 
his  scheme  was  from  that  which  Cobbett  had  opposed. 

3  A  previous  letter,  reviewing  Cob-  National.'  The  bank  which  collapsed 
bett's  public  life,  and  expressing  a  was  '  The  Agricultural,'  as  he  cor- 
wish  that  he  would  visit  Darrynane,  rectly  foresaw   (see  p.    499).     The 
was  published  in  a  newspaper,  and  mistake  annoyed  him  very  much,  but 
will  be  found  in  the  Appendix  (see  he  refrained  from  controverting  the 
p.  536).  point  in  Cobbett's   Register  lest  it 

4  O'Connell's    bank    was    '  The  should  tend  to  reopen  old  wounds. 


506     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CONN  ELL    CH.  xn. 


Charles  Phillips  5  to  Daniel  O'Connell. 
(Postmark,  Nov.  25,  1834.)  49  Chancery  Lane  :  Sunday. 

My  dear  O'Connell, — As  I  am  here  at  headquarters,  and 
have  better  means  of  judging  than  those  at  a  distance,  I 
think  it  right  to  say,  for  your  own  guidance,  that  I  am  per- 
fectly satisfied  the  Duke  will  not  face  the  present  House  of 
Commons,  and  so  I  would  advise  you  to  prepare,  and  that 
instantly,  for  an  election.  You  should  strain  every  nerve 
to  increase  your  parliamentary  force  in  Ireland,  for,  depend 
upon  it,  you  are  personally  more  interested  in  the  issue  of 
the  pending  struggle  than  any  other  man  in  the  empire. 
No  matter  at  what  risk,  an  effort  will  be  made  to  crush  you; 
the  Tories  are  too  vain  and  too  furious  to  try  conciliation, 
and  they  know  well  they  and  you  cannot  coexist,  so  crush 
you  if  they  can  they  will.  The  struggle  will  be  terrific — 
but  it  will  be  final,  if  the  friends  to  reform  succeed.  The 
Duke  must  know  this,  and  therefore  will  exert  all  the 
energies  of  despair.  Prepare,  then,  firmly  and  ardently, 
and  lose  not  a  moment.  I  have  reason  to  think  one  of  the 
grand  devices  to  divide  Ireland  and  weaken  you  is  a  scheme 
to  pay  the  Catholic  priesthood  after  the  manner  of  the 
regium  donum.  Do  not  treat  this  too  lightly.  That  there 
is  much  apathy  here  is  not  to  be  denied,  and  if  this  continues 
at  the  election,  the  Tories  will  have  their  reign  renewed  for 
some  years  at  all  events.  As  to  the  late  men,  they  were 
dismissed  when  they  had  not  the  least  idea  of  it,  and  with 
less  ceremony  than  you  would  dismiss  a  footman.  That 
it  was  the  result  of  a  previous  intrigue  is  to  me  clear.  Do 
you  think  the  King  would  have  attempted  such  a  step  had 
he  not  been  personally  assured  that  the  Duke  was  ready  ? 
I  am  told  you  may  expect  the  Ministerial  manifesto  in  a 
postscript  to  the  '  Quarterly  Eeview,'  which  comes  out  on 


5  The  well-known  forensic  orator 
and  author  of  Curran  and  his  Con- 
temporaries, called  to  the  English 
Bar  in  1821.  In  his  notice  of 
O'Connell  he  blows  hot  and  cold. 
Brougham  greatly  admired  this  book, 
and  it  was  through  his  aid  that 


Phillips  secured  his  promotion.  In 
1846  Lord  Lyndhurst  appointed  him 
an  insolvency  judge.  Phillips  is 
warmly  praised  by  Christopher 
North.  Allibone  devotes  a  page  to 
the  enumeration  of  his  writings. 
Died  in  London,  February  1,  1859. 


1834  CHARLES  PHILLIPS  AGAIN  507 

Tuesday.  Your  stronghold  is  the  Irish  Church  and  tithes6 — 
the  Duke's  weak  point  lies  there  ;  there  is  a  section  of  his 
own  party  who  will  not  hear  of  his  touching  either,  and  the 
great  body  of  the  people  will  not  endure  his  toleration  of 
them,  so  he  is  between  two  fires.  I  much  lament  the  ex- 
Ministry  ;  they  were  prepared  to  do  more  for  Ireland  than 
we  are  likely  to  see  proposed  even  by  any  other.  Why  they 
did  not  go  faster  is  now  pretty  clear — they  could  not.  As 
it  is,  their  intentions  with  respect  to  the  Irish  Church  early 
next  Session  sent  them  out,  not  very  respectfully. 

However,  what  is  past  cannot  be  recalled,  though  I  hope 
what  is  done  may  be  undone.  Much  will  undoubtedly  depend 
on  Ireland. 

Eemember  me  sincerely  to  Mrs.  O'C.  and  all  around 
you,  and  believe  me 

Your  sincere  Friend, 

C.  PHILLIPS. 

To  William  Coblett. 

It  is  hardly  worth  giving  you  the  trouble  of  learning  the 
truth  upon  subjects  of  such  little  interest  to  you  or  the  public, 
especially  when  the  all-absorbing  question  of  the  existence 
of  the  present  Ministry  fills  the  public  mind.  There  never 
was  a  Ministry  so  hateful  to  Ireland,  so  inimical  to  the  Irish 
people.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  to  you  the  wretched 
state  of  the  different  public  departments  in  this  country 
under  the  present  Iron  rule.  Orangeism  in  its  most  insult- 
ing as  well  as  oppressive  form  is  quite  triumphant.  Every 
old  abuse  is  in  full  activity,  every  new  instrument  of 
oppression  put  in  motion. 

Alas,  I.  feel  disposed  to  declaim,  because  it  is  impossible 
adequately  to  describe  the  state  of  misery  which  this 
Government  produces  and  seeks  to  perpetuate. 

You  often  told  me  that  the  evils  of  Ireland  were  due  to 
the  British  Government,  not  to  the  British  people  ;  and  yet 

6  It  was  at  this  time  that  O'Con-  of  the  Duke's  character,  and  in  1852 

nell    called    the    Duke  '  a    stunted  published   a  memoir  of   his  great 

corporal,'  and  Sir  Eobert  '  Surface  countryman. 
Peel.'    Phillips  was  a  careful  student 


508     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON  NELL    CH.  xn. 


how  many  of  the  English  people  look  on  with  apathy  and 
acquiescence  at  this  renewal  of  all  the  horrors  of  the  old 
system  of  misrule.  Nay,  my  dear  Sir,  what,  after  all,  are 
we  to  expect  even  from  you — you  to  whom  the  people  of 
Ireland  would  now  be  so  much  disposed  to  look  up  to  as  a 
friend  and  a  Protector  ?  What  will  you  do  on  this  occa- 
sion ? 7 

[The  remainder  lost.] 

To  his  Wife. 

Merrion  Square:  Monday,  1st  Dec.  1834. 

My  darling  Love, — Nothing  decisive  as  yet,  but  'every 
thing  in  the  highest  degree  favorable.  Hume  has  arrived 
in  full  health  in  London,  and  is  doing  well  in  politics.  I 
just  heard  from  him,  and  he  is  strongly  convinced  that  the 
Duke  cannot  stand  the  public  shock.  There  has  been  a 
great  meeting  at  Birmingham  against  the  Duke,  and  your 
husband  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  it,  under  the  rose. 
Attwood  is  behaving  very  ill.  It  is  feared  that  he  has  sold 
the  pass.  In  short,  the  upshot  is  this — that  matters  are 
still  in  doubt,  but  it  is  not  believed  that  the  Duke  can  stand. 

Darling,  how  delighted  I  am  at  your  enjoying  such 
health  and  taking  such  walks ;  but,  sweetest,  take  care  of 
your  health  for  me,  my  own  darling  love,  and  do  not  risk 
cold.  My  dearest  heart's  darling,  I  wish  you  were  here  with 
me.  You  do  not  know  how  my  fond  heart  is  wrapped  in 
you,  my  own  Mary  !  I  wish  I  was  saying  tJuit  in  your  ear. 

To  his  Wife. 

Merrion  Square  :  2d  Dec.  1834. 

My  own  Love, — We  shall  certainly  have  a  contest  in 
Dublin,  which  is  vexatious,  and  would  be  the  more  so  if  it 
kept  me  from  enjoying  Darrynane.  I  am  delighted  to  find 


7  This  letter  is  dated  February 
10,  1835,  and  was  purchased  for  the 
MS.  library  of  the  British  Museum. 
Soon  after  that  date  Cobbett  died. 
He  had  just  attained  the  goal  of  his 
ambition — a  seat  in  Parliament ;  but 


its  late  hours  and  close  atmosphere 
were  ill-suited  to  a  man  who  usually 
went  to  bed  at  nine  and  rose  at  four. 
O'Connell  attended  the  funeral  of 
Cobbett. 


1834  DR.   MACHALE'S  APPOINTMENT  509 

Capt.  Win.  Browne  up  for  Kerry,  as  it  gives  Charles  8  a  fit 
opportunity  to  return  without  injury  to  the  Cause.  I  will 
instantly  delight  my  Kate 9  by  making  an  arrangement  to 
that  effect.  I  intend  to  write  this  day,  so  that,  dissolution 
or  not,  Charles  and  Kate  can  and  shall  be  gratified. 

To  Archbishop  MacHale. 

Merrion  Square  :  10  December,  1834. 

My  revered  Lord, — There  have  been  many  letters  of 
congratulation  addressed  to  your  Grace,  but  none,  I  will 
venture  to  say,  so  cordial  as  mine ;  because  I  not  only  con- 
gratulate you  as  a  gentleman  whom  even  as  a  private 
individual  I  highly  respect,  but  congratulate  you  in  the 
name  of  Ireland  and  for  her  sake  and,  above  all,  for  the 
sake  of  that  faith  whose  sacred  deposit  has  been  preserved 
by  your  predecessors,  and  will  be  preserved  unblemished 
and,  indeed,  with  increased  lustre  by  your  Grace.  Indeed, 
I  venture  to  hope  that  there  are  times  coming  when  the  period 
of  the  oppression  of  the  Church  in  Ireland,  destined  by  God 
in  His  adorable  dispensations  to  arrive,  will  have  arrived.  I 
do,  I  confess,  venture  to  augur  favourably  from  your  nomina- 
tion by  his  Holiness  the  Pope,  you  who  had  proved  yourself 
too  honest  an  Irishman  not  to  be  obnoxious  to  the  British 
Administration.  It  seems  to  me  to  be  the  brilliant  dawn 
of  a  noonday  in  which  the  light  of  Eome  will  no  longer  be 
obscured  by  the  clouds  of  English  influence.  I  often  sighed 
at  the  delusion  created  in  the  political  circles  at  Eome  on 
the  subject  of  the  English  Government.  They  thought, 
good  souls,  that  England  favoured  the  Catholics  when  she 
only  yielded  to  our  claims,  not  knowing  that  the  secret 
animosity  to  Catholicity  was  as  envenomed  as  ever  it  was. 

The  present  Pope — may  God  protect  his  Holiness ! — has 
seen  through  that  delusion,  and  you  are  a  proof  that  it  will 
no  longer  be  a  cause  of  misconception  to  be  as  true  to  the 
political  interests  as  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  people  of 

8  His  son-in-law,  Charles  O'Connell,  of  Bahoss. 

9  Wife  of  the  above. 


510     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON  NELL     CH.  xn. 

Ireland.1  I  am  delighted  at  this  new  era.  No  man  can  be 
more  devoted  to  the  spiritual  authority  of  his  Holiness.  I 
have  always  detested  what  were  called  the  liberties  of  the 
'  Church  in  France.' 2  I  am  convinced  that  the  more 
direct  and  unequivocal  is  that  authority  according  to  the 
canons  the  more  easy  will  it  be  to  preserve  the  unity  of  the 
faith. 

I  need  not  add  that  there  does  not  live  a  human  being 
more  submissive,  in  omnibus,  to  the  Church  than  I  am,  from 
the  most  unchangeable  conviction.  I  have  only  to  add  that, 
if  your  Grace  could  have  any  occasion  for  any  exertions  of 
mine  in  support  of  any  candidate  in  any  county  in  Con- 
naught,  I  shall  have  the  greatest  pleasure  in  receiving  your 
suggestions  as  cherished  commands. 

I  have,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Tralee  :  1st  January,  1835. 

I  have  been  kept  here  these  three  days  in  hot  water. 
The  county  is  organised  and  safe.  The  Knight  has  not  the 
slightest  chance.3  The  town  is,  I  am  told,  safe,  but  in  these 
close  constituencies  three  or  four  turn  the  scale,  and  that 
creates  bribery.  The  temptation  is  really  too  formidable. 
I  go  on  to-morrow  to  Darrynane  Abbey.  I  am  not  a  little 
annoyed  that  no  human  being  wrote  to  me  from  Dublin. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

But  in  vitality  and  '  go '  FitzPatrick  was  several  '  human 
beings  rolled  into  one.'  Writing  from  Dublin  on  January 
5,  1835,  he  goes  on  to  say : — 

'  A  good  deal  of  uneasiness  continues  to  be  expressed  at 
your  absence  from  Dublin.  There  is  every  reason  to  be- 

1  Gregory  XVI.  had  just  resisted  he  had  eloquently  defended,  in  the 
an  influential  intrigue  to  prevent  the  pulpit,  the  rights  of  Peter's  Chair, 
appointment  of  Dr.  MacHale  to  the  3  A  great  electoral  battle  for  the 
Archbishopric  of  Tuam.  representation   of    Kerry   was    now 

2  The  Four  Gallican  Articles,  or  about  to  be  fought.     It  will  be  seen 
'  Liberties,'  drawn  up  1682,  received  that  Morgan  John  O'Connell  defeated 
prominent    support    from  Bossuet,  the  Knight  of  Kerry. 

Bishop  of  Meaux,  a  few  days  after 


1835  FITZPATEICKS  ACTIVITY  511 

lieve  the  City  election  will  take  place  on  Monday,  and  every 
chicane  will  doubtless  be  resorted  to  against  the  popular 
party.  I  understand  the  assessor  to  be  West,  who  is,  I 
believe,  son  of  the  Alderman.  He  has  been  in  all  parts  of 
town  throughout  the  week  in  company  with  Boyton.4  Your 
presence  appears  indispensable  to  check  to  some  extent  the 
system  of  trick  which  the  Corporators  know  so  well  how  to 
practise,  and  you  will  probably  receive  letters  from  other 
quarters  by  this  night's  post  urging  your  immediate  return. 
Alderman  Smyth,5  &c.,  continue  to  promulge  that  payment 
in  advance,  and  for  the  year  in  full,  of  the  Paving  and 
Lighting  Tax  is  requisite  to  qualify  the  householders  under 
£50.  O'Loghlen  got  the  Paving  Act  from  Maley  last  night, 
and  Sause  has  just  told  me  he  will  write  his  opinion  to- 
night for  the  guidance  of  the  Committee.  It  would  seem 
as  if  he  thought  it  unnecessary  to  make  the  payment  in 
advance.  Some  persons  suggest  that,  where  the  means  of 
the  people  do  not  enable  them  to  pay  the  whole  year's  tax 
at  once,  half  the  sum  should  be  tendered,  and  it  would 
probably  be  received,  from  the  exhausted  state  of  the  treasury 
of  the  department.  This  is,  of  course,  contemplating  the 
necessity  of  making  the  payment  previously  to  coming  up 
to  vote,  and  the  persons  to  whom  I  allude  wished  me  to  see 
Hickman  Kearney,  the  Paving  Commissioner,  privately  to 
get  him  to  afford  every  facility  in  his  power  to  the  defaulters 
in  this  or  any  other  way.  Do  you  think  this  requisite  ? ' 

It  was  a  favourite  object  with  O'Connell  to  rescue  Carlow 
from  what  he  styled  its  political  servitude  under  Colonel 
Bruen.  The  following  letters  record  that  desire ;  but  at 
the  General  Election  his  opponents,  Bruen  and  Kavanagh, 
were  successful. 

To  E.  M.  FitzGerald,  Carlow. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  Jan.  4th,  1835. 

My  dear  FitzGerald,— I  wish  I  could  get  to  Carlow.  I 
am  most  anxious  to  be  in  Carlow.  Will  you  see  his  Lord- 
ship the  Bishop,  and  submit  to  him  my  plan  ?  If  you 
cannot  get  anybody  else,  I  will  lodge  £500,  or,  if  necessary, 
,€1,000,  for  my  eldest  son,  Maurice,  and  set  him  up  for  the 
County.  Maurice  can  and  will  be  elected  for  Tralee,  but 

4  Dr.  Boyton,  it  will  be  remem-  5  One  of  the  heads  of  the  Paving 

bered,  was  the  Tory  Tribune.  Board.     (See  letter  of  July  16,  1836.) 


512     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

he  could  afterwards  elect  to  sit  for  Carlow  County  and  leave 
Tralee  for  a  second  choice.  I  say  this  only  on  the  under- 
standing that  nobody  else  can  be  got ;  in  that  case  I  will 
make  the  sacrifice  I  mention  to  prevent  a  Tory  getting  in 
for  the  County.  You  will,  however,  recollect  that  I-  do 
this  merely  to  prevent  a  Tory  from  being  your  member,  and 
for  no  other  purpose,  though,  to  be  perfectly  candid,  I  would 
rather  have  Maurice  represent  a  County  than  a  Borough  ; 
but  beyond  that  preference  there  is  nothing  else.  I  am, 
however,  ready  to  make  a  personal  sacrifice  of  from  £500 
to  £1,000  for  that  purpose.  I  go  to  Killarney  on  Tuesday, 
the  6th  ;  on  Wednesday,  the  7th,  to  Cork. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  N.  A.  Vigors. 

My  dear  Vigors, — We  are  all  bustle,  preparing  to  fight 
the  Tories  in  all  the  Counties  and  Boroughs.  Carlow 
interests  you  more  immediately.  Wallace  and  Blakeney 
know  they  will  not  answer.  The  honest  men  there  suggest 
Mr.  Ponsonby,  Lord  Duncannon's  son,  and  Mr.  Eaphael,6 
the  London  Sheriff.  Will  you  call  on  Lord  Duncannon  on 
this  business  ?  I  wrote  to  him  to  say  that  I  should  ask 
you  to  do  so.  First,  to-morrow,  you  should  see  Mr.  Eaphael, 
and  ascertain  whether  or  not  he  will  stand.  We  could 
secure  him  the  County  at  considerable  expense,  say  at  the 
very  utmost  £3,000.  You  can  tell  him  that  I  will  be  one 
of  the  guarantees  of  his  success  if  he  will  thus  come 
forward  as  the  colleague  of  Mr.  Ponsonby.  Let  me  know 
without  delay  whether  there  be  any  chance  of  effectuating 
this  plan. — Believe  me  always,  my  dear  Vigors, 
Yours  most  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

8  The  early  part  of  this  letter  into  prominence  later  on,  had  ex- 

obviously  refers  to  the  General  Elec-  pressed  a  desire  at  this  time  to  come 

tion,  and  the  above  allusion  shows  forward.     (See  vol.  ii.  p.  25.) 
that  Mr.  Eaphael,  whose  name  came 


1835  A    VOTERS  DIFFICULTIES  513 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  5th  Jany.  65. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Dublin  City  is  a  county  in  itself, 
and  cannot  have  its  election,  I  take  it,  sooner  than  to- 
morrow week.  You  seem  to  suppose  that  my  friend  Maley 
has  made  a  great  discovery  as  to  the  paving,  &c.,  cess. 
I  am  surprised  you  did  not  recollect  that  there  were  others 
with  heads  on  their  shoulders  as  well  as  Maley.  We  have, 
of  course,  been  acting  on  the  conviction  of  the  accuracy  of 
the  opinions  which  he  gave  you  ;  but  see,  between  you  and 
me,  how  much  more  kind  it  would  be  of  him  to  go  and  give 
the  benefit  of  his  knowledge  to  the  election  committees 
sitting  in  Dublin  for  me  and  my  late  colleague  than  sending 
the  fact  to  me  200  miles  distant.  It  is,  indeed,  known 
already,  but  every  fresh  announcement  would  be  a  stimulant 
to  the  voters  to  pay  up  their  taxes.  They  have  until  the 
moment  of  polling  to  pay.  No  question  arises  as  to  the 
vote,  but  the  voter  may  be  required  before  he  votes  to  swear 
in  these  words  :  '  That  not  more  than  one  half-year's  grand 
jury  or  municipal  cesses,  rates,  or  taxes  are  now  due  and 
payable  by  me  in  respect  to  the  premisses  in  this  certificate 
mentioned.'  Now  whoever  is  not  personally  liable  to  the 
cesses,  such  as  persons  registered  out  of  shops,  warehouses, 
&c.,  can  at  once  take  this  oath. 

And,  between  you  and  me,  so  can  any  man  who  does 
not  owe  more  than  one  half-year's  grand  jury  cesses,  and 
has  brought  any  one  of  the  municipal  cesses  to  one  half- 
year  ;  for  supposing  the  grand  jury  cesses  out  of  the  question, 
then  the  words  are  clear,  I  do  not  owe  more  than  one  half- 
year  of  my  municipal  cesses ;  that  is  clearly  all  the  cesses 
taken  in  the  aggregate,  not  of  any  one  cess  taken  by  itself. 
The  oath  is  not,  '  I  do  not  owe  the  amount  of  more  than  one 
half-year  of  any  municipal  cess ;  '  the  oath  is,  '  I  do  not 
owe  more  than  the  amount  of  one  half-year  of  my  muni- 
cipal cesses,'  in  the  plural,  which  is  strictly  and  critically 
true  if  he  has  cleared  off  any  one  cess.  Remember  the  oath 
negatives  the  plural  only,  the  plural  conjointly;  it  does 

VOL.  i.  L  L 


514     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

not  negative  any  singular  or  particular.  If  you  pay  one 
municipal  cess,  you  owe  only  some  of  your  cesses,  not  all. 
This  -will  be  clearer  still  if  you  suppose  four  municipal  cesses. 
You  pay  three  off,  you  owe  one.  You  can  most  safely 
swear  you  do  not  owe  municipal  cesses.  Keep  this  dis- 
tinction from  getting  into  any  newspaper  until  we  present 
Pigot's  opinion  to  the  voters,  and  keep  it  to  yourself,  lest 
it  should  discourage  people  from,  or  rather  induce  them  to 
omit,  paying  all  cesses.  What  we  are  striving  to  do  before 
we  announce  this  construction  of  the  oath  is  to  get  as  many 
voters  as  possible  to  pay  all,  especially  the  paving,  &c.,  tax. 
Some  of  their  freemen  will  be  hard  set  to  take  the  oath 
with  truth  for  an  opponent. 

Send  all  the  Dublin  newspapers  to  Darrynane. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatricJc. 

Cork :  Thursday  night :  Jany.  8,  1835. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Your  letter  is  the  first  symptom 
of  defeat  in  Dublin  which  I  have  seen.  Surely  every 
human  being  who  will  pay  his  taxes  at  any  time  may  as 
well  pay  them  now.  At  least  all  reasonably  solvent  persons 
understand  the  thing.  There  is  no  objection  to  be  dis- 
cussed about  taxes.  All  that  can  be  done  is  to  require 
the  voter's  oath.  Now  no  voter  of  ours  shall,  if  we  know 
it,  perjure  himself.  I  am  decidedly  of  opinion  that  it  will 
not  be  perjury  if  the  voter  shall  have  paid  any  one  of  the 
municipal  cesses  hi  full,  that  is,  to  the  last  half-yearly 
payment.  If  there  be  one  cess  reduced  to  the  last  half- 
yearly  payment  then  the  oath  is  true,  and  can  be  taken 
with  perfect  safety.  The  question  would  at  the  worst  be 
for  a  committee  of  the  House  of  Commons. 

But  all  trouble  would  be  got  over  if  every  voter  went  on 
Monday  morning,  or  on  Saturday  to  prefer,  and  paid  the 
paving,  &c.,  tax;  that  is  the  heaviest,  and  the  one  most  easily 
shewn  to  be  in  arrears.  It  is  the  householders  alone  who  are 
liable  to  this  payment.  All  other  voters  can  pass  without 
taking  this  oath.  You  say  my  counsel  is  wanting.  I  have 


1835  MORGAN  JOHN  O'CONNELL  515 

been  repeating  these  two  months — pay  your  taxes,  pay  your 
taxes,  pay  your  taxes  !  It  is,  I  see,  vain,  and  Dublin  is  lost. 
God's  holy  will  be  done  ! 

I  intend  to  sleep  in  Fermoy  to-morrow  night,  and  to  reach 
Dublin  in  all  Saturday,  that  is,  by  twelve  at  night.  I  will 
then  have  the  afternoon  of  Sunday  to  repeat  my  parrot 
cry. 

This  county  is  perfectly  safe. 

Faithfully  yours, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

It  was  at  this  period  that  the  Liberator's  nephew, 
Morgan  John  O'Connell,  who  continued  to  sit  for  the  County 
Kerry  until  1852,  was  returned  as  its  representative  for  the 
first  time. 

To  his  Brother. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  Sunday  night. 

My  dearest  John, — Who  could  be  the  stupidest  of  the 
stupid  who  told  you  I  said  nothing  about  the  County  Elec- 
tion7 in  my  address?  Look  at  the  resolution  with  which 
I  prefaced  my  speech,  and  if  there  be  a  shadow  of  Eeport 
of  what  I  said,  you  will  see  that  the  entire  aim  of  my  argu- 
ment went  to  rouse  every  man  who  heard  me  against  the 
two  supporters  of  the  present  Ministry.  My  principal  topic 
was  tithes,  and  there  was  not  a  word  directed  to  rouse 
the  farmers  against  the  Knight,8  and  in  the  first  instance  I 
required  them  to  come  in  to  influence  Tralee.  What  a  silly, 
silly  wretch  it  must  be  that  gave  you  the  uneasiness  of 
thinking  I  did  not  speak  to  both  elections — not  equally, 
because  the  far  greater  part  of  what  I  said  was  applicable 
and  directed  to  the  County  Election.  I  never  felt  so  an- 
noyed as  at  the  foolish  falsehood  which  was  thus  conveyed 
to  you. 

So  far  from  that  impression  being  made  [on]  those  who 
surrounded  me,  on  the  contrary,  they  declared  the  impres- 
sion I  made  decisive  of  the  Knight.  It  may  be  that  I 
did  not  speak  of  the  candidates.  I  certainly  said  nothing 

7  For  Kerry.  8  The  Knight  of  Kerry. 

L  L  2 


516     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

of  my  own  son,  principally  because  I  had  the  people  in  tears 
upon  the  topic  of  the  Eathcorniac  murders.9  To  suppose, 
as  your  informant  supposed,  what  I  said  encouraged  the 
Conservatives,  is,  you  would  admit  if  you  heard  me,  the 
height  of  madness.  My  plan  was  to  attack  the  Knight. 

I  will  be  in  Killarney  on  Tuesday  evening,  and  if  you 
desire,  give  one  other  written  address.     Dublin  election  is 
to  be  early,  so  that  I  have  no  doubt  of  being  with  my  dear 
Morgan  before  the  Kerry  contest  can  commence. 
Ever,  my  dearest  John, 

Your  most  affectionate  Brother, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Brother. 

Merrion  Square :  15th  January,  1835. 

My  dearest  John, — I  enclose  you  a  letter  I  got  this  day 
from  Lord  Duncannon.  It  will  shew  you  that  Lord  Ken- 
mare  is  strongly  solicited  by  the  Whigs,  from  whom  he 
accepted  obligations,  not  to  persevere  in  supporting  the 
Knight  [of  Kerry].  Do  not  publish  this  letter,  or  make 
any  public  use  of  Lord  Duncannon' s  name.  I  give  it  to 
you  to  shew  the  tenants  that  they  have,  and  will  probably 
find,  powerful  and  influential  advocates  with  Lord  Kenmare 
in  the  event  of  their  voting  against  the  Knight. 

I  am  sorry  to  tell  you  that  my  election  here  is  in  the 
scale.  I  am  bid  not  to  despond,  but  after  bringing  up 
voters  as  we  did  last  night,  I  myself  was  not  prepared  to 
have  them  run  up  a  great  majority  on  this  day's  poll. 
When  I  heard  last  it  was  111  over  us,  making  on  the  gross 
poll  890.  It  is  quite  true  that  we  met  with  every  obstacle 
in  getting  our  men  polled ;  all  the  oaths  that  can  be  put 
are  put  to  each  man,  and  thus  a  number  of  our  people 
remain  waiting  hours  for  their  turn. 

I  am  naturally  of  a  desponding  disposition  when  any- 
thing goes  against  me.  I  am  the  spoiled  child  of  fortune, 
and  fall  naturally  into  despair  when  I  meet  an  unexpected 

9  Sanguinary  collisions  had  oc-  town  in  consequence  of  resolute 
curred  at  Eathcormac  and  Walls-  efforts  to  levy  tithes  from  the  people. 


1835  JOE  HUME  517 

reverse,   though   it   were   only   in   appearance;    however, 
to-morrow  will  decide  our  fate.1 

Wishing  my  dearest  Morgan  and  the  cause  all  manner 
of  success, 

Believe  me  always  your  most  affectionate  Brother, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 
P.S.  The  gross  majority  against  me  is  48. 

'  He  who  foresees  calamities,'  says  Porteus,  '  suffers 
them  twice  over.'  This  remark  often  applied  to  O'Connell. 
O'Connell  and  Euthven  were  returned  for  the  city  of  Dublin 
by  very  greatly  reduced  majorities,  but  the  notorious  cor- 
ruption of  the  illiterate  freemen  of  Dublin,  who,  later  on, 
were  often  taken  from  the  workhouse  to  vote,  gave  this  cir- 
cumstance no  political  significance. 

To  Archbishop  MacHale. 

Merrion  Square :  17th  January,  1835. 

My  ever  respected  Lord, — You  will,  I  know,  be  glad  to 
see  my  frank.  Blessed  be  God,  all  is  at  last  well  here.  I 
find  from  the  papers  that  Hume  is  in  danger  in  Middlesex. 
What  a  glorious  opportunity  if  we  could  return  him  for 
Mayo  with  Brabazon  !  I  would  guarantee  the  payment  of 
^1,000  if  he  ivere  certainly  returned — that  is,  I  have  no 
more  doubt  of  that  money  than  I  have  of  my  existence. 
Pardon  me  for  obtruding  on  your  Grace  at  this  moment, 
but  it  would  be  a  high  honour  to  Ireland  to  have  such  a 
representative. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  his  Wife. 

Tralee  :  Jan.  21,  1835. 

My  darling  Love, — Though  the  Knight  is  at  the  head 
of  the  poll  as  between  him  and  Mullins,  yet,  darling,  he  is 
beaten — beaten  like  a  common  hack.  He  polled  all  his 
strength  this  day.  I  came  here  in  no  small  despondency 
and  found  everything  right.  The  Knight  will  be  exhausted 
before  the  close  to-morrow. 

1  See    also  letter   dated  April   9,   1834,  previous  to  his  speech  in  the 
great  '  Repeal '  debate. 


518     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL   O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

When  I  went  to  Meath  I  was  quite  certain  of  our  darling 
Morgan's  return.  I  have  left  it  without  being  by  any 
means  so  confident.  I,  however,  hope  he  will  be  returned. 
I  will  know  tolerably  well  to-morrow  night. 

Darling,  I  went  to  Kildalky,  beyond  Trim,  on  Saturday. 
I  remained  on  Sunday  at  the  house — a  very  good  one — of 
the  priest,  a  namesake  of  ours.  I  harangued  a  great  multi- 
tude. On  Monday  we  spent  the  day  speechifying.  I  came 
that  night  to  Dublin.  Yesterday  to  Nenagh,  and  thence  this 
day.  .  .  . 

I  am  weary,  darling,  and  must  go  to  bed.  I  will  write 
to-morrow  to  tell  you  when  I  ivill  be  with  you ;  but,  darling, 
we  must  be  in  Dublin  as  soon  as  possible. 

I  enclose  a  letter  for  darling  Kate.  Give  her  my  ten- 
derest  love  and  to  her  sweet  Mary  and  a  kiss  to  dearest 

Tissy. 

Your  most  tenderly  fond 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 


Tralee :  Jan.  21,  35. 

Wednesday  night. 


I  came  in  from  Nenagh ;  found  my  nephew  with  almost 
every  vote— 268;  the  Knight,2  172;  Mullins,  167.  The 
Knight  nearly  exhausted — Mullins  strong  in  one  strength. 
There  is  no  chance  for  the  Knight.  He  has  not  half  a 
day  more  hi  him. 

What  idle  stories  you  pick  up  about  the  petition  in 
Dublin !  No  enquiry  at  the  residences  of  the  voters  can 
do  us  any  injury.  The  only  question  can  come  upon  those 
for  whom  the  Landlords  are  liable  to  the  taxes.  That  is  a 
question  of  Law  affecting  some  sixty  votes,  or  at  the 
utmost  eighty,  even  if  decided  against  us ;  but  we  should 
on  our  parts  prepare  for  the  scrutiny  of  the  adverse  votes. 
I  will  write  more  at  large  to-morrow,  when  I  think  I  will 
have  to  announce  the  retreat  of  the  Knight's  friends.  He 
is  not  here  himself,  being  confined  in  London  by  illness. 

2  The  Knight  of  Kerry. 


1835  WHIG  COALITION  WITH  RADICALS  519 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

Tralee  :  22d  January,  35. 

2d  Day. 

M.  J.  O'Connell    .         .     534        Majority        .     212 
Mullins         ...     346  „  .       24 

The  Knight  [of  Kerry]  .     322 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — The  above  shews  you  that  \vhat 
I  wrote  yesterday  is  likely  to  be  verified — nay,  is  verified. 
The  majority  would  be  much  greater  but  that  there  are 
only  three  booths,  and  the  accustomed  modes  of  delay  were 
resorted  to,  such  as  putting  oaths  to  their  own  voters. 
The  election  has  lost  all  animation,  as  the  event  is  not  in 
the  slightest  degree  doubtful.  It  is  consolatory  to  see  that 
there  is  another  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  completely  at  sea, 
without  the  possibility  of  getting  a  seat.  I  begin  to  expect 
that  we  shall  kick  out  the  present  vile  Administration  root 
and  branch,  but  my  uneasiness  for  Meath  was,  I  confess, 
exceedingly  great  until  I  got  Morgan's  letter  and  yours.3  I 
take  it  that  his  success  the  first  day  is  almost  decisive  of 
ultimate  victory.  There  have  been  in  this  county  680 
voters  polled,  and  I  do  not  think  there  are  200  more  to 
poll.  Of  these  49  in  one  book  are  decidedly  ours,  and  70 
in  another.  In  the  third  the  majority  is  also  distinctly 
ours.  In  short,  I  consume  your  time  quite  uselessly  in 
giving  the  details  of  a  success  which  was  not  doubtful  after 
the  first  three  hours. 

I  intend  to  send  you  the  close  of  the  poll  to-morrow. 
You  may  communicate  the  Kerry  poll  to  Conway  as  well 
as  to  Staunton  and  the  Freeman. 

This  Session  was  made  remarkable  by  a  junction  be- 
tween the  TVhigs,  Radicals  and  O'Connellites,  with  the  object 
of  giving  the  Tories  a  bad  fall.  It  was  decided  to  put  for- 
ward Mr.  Abercromby — a  great  Liberal — against  the  seated 
Speaker,  Manners  Button,  and  to  try  the  strength  of  both 
sides  in  a  struggle  for  the  Chair.  The  following  letter — 

s  Henry  Grattan  and  Morgan  O'Connell  were  returned  for  Meath. 


520     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

now,  of  course,  printed  for  the  first  time — is  an  interesting 
record  of  the  overtures  made  and  plan  of  action  : — 

Henry  Warburton,  M.P.,  to  Daniel  O'Connell. 

45  Cadogan  Place :  Jnry.  30,  1835. 

My  dear  Sir, — Abercromby,  according  to  my  anticipa- 
tion, has  consented  to  be  put  in  nomination  as  Speaker, 
and  I  rely  on  your  sending  notice  thereof  to  all  the  Members 
over  whom  you  have  any  influence.  As  fast  as  promises  to 
support  him  are  communicated  to  you,  pray  inform  me, 
that  I  may  forward  the  information  to  his  more  immediate 
supporters  or  Committee.  So  much  for  that. 

Concert  and  co-operation  are  now  above  all  things 
necessary.  The  body  of  the  Liberals  will  not  unite  cor- 
dially under  a  Whig  Leader.  What  is  the  other  alternative  ? 
That  the  three  principal  sections  of  Liberals,  viz.  the  Irish 
Party,  the  Whigs,  and  the  Eadicals  or  Kadical-Whigs, 
should  each  have  their  meetings  and  their  Chairman.  This 
is  what  Mr.  Grote,  myself,  Mr.  Clay,  Mr.  Ward,  Mr.  Hume, 
&c.,  are  endeavouring  to  effect,  by  forming  a  Eadical  Brigade, 
with  a  Chairman  or  head  to  communicate  with  the  Whig 
Leader  and  yourself,  so  as  to  secure  co-operation  for  common 
public  objects.  Our  party  cares  not  to  swell  its  members 
by  inducing  Members  to  come  to  them  who  would  rather 
join  the  Whigs  or  the  Irish  party ;  but  their  object  is  to 
prevent  that  total  disorganization  which  we  have  witnessed 
during  the  last  two  Sessions.  Until  the  Tories  are  turned 
out,  I  do  not  see  what  is  to  prevent  these  three  sections 
drawing  very  much  together  on  most  questions. 

Can  you  inform  me  which  of  the  Irish  Anti-Tories  are 
likely  to  join  us,  rather  than  your  party,  or  that  of  the 
Whigs,  as  I  wish  to  make  application  to  any  such  to  become 
of  our  crew  ? 

Sir  John  Hobhouse  is  desirous  that  Members  should  be 
here  by  the  15th. — I  am,  Sir, 

Yours  truly, 

HENRY  WARBURTON. 


1835  'VICTOBY,   VICTORY!'  521 

Abercromby  was  member  for  Edinburgh,  and  had  uni- 
formly voted  with  O'Connell.  Manners  Button  had  been 
Speaker  for  several  years,  and  was  known  to  be  a  staunch 
Tory ;  he  afterwards  became  Lord  Canterbury.  Eaikes,  in 
his  diary  of  February  2,  1835,  says  that  Wellington  and 
Peel  looked  forward  to  the  coming  struggle  '  with  sanguine 
hopes  of  success.'  The  Times  smelt  mischief  brewing,  and 
waxed  wroth.  '  Look,'  it  said,  '  at  the  condition  in  which 
poor  Mr.  Abercromby  with  " his  principle"  will  stand  when 
O'Connell  is  whipping  up  the  devils  to  support  him  in  his 
unblessed  attempt  to  place  himself  in  the  chair.  Shame 
will  overwhelm  him  at  the  sight  of  such  allies.' 

At  last  the  tug  of  war  came.  Abercromby  got  224 
English  votes,  31  Scotch  votes,  and  61  of  'the  Tail,'  as 
O'Connell's  following  was  familiarly  styled.  Here  is 
O'Connell's  letter  announcing  the  result.  Great  importance 
was  attached  to  this  victory,  for,  with  the  exception  of  one 
interval,  Tory  government  had  held  sway  from  1809, 
Lord  Liverpool's  Ministry  in  itself  enduring  fifteen  years. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatricU. 

19  February,  1835. 

My  dear  Fitz, — Victory  !  I  write  on  my  knee  in  a 
crowded  room.  Victory,  victory  !  The  Tories  are  down,  and 
for  ever.  There  must  be  a  change  of  Administration. 

Abercromby 316 

Sutton 306 

Majority       ....  10 

Total  voters 622 

2  tellers  _2 

624 
Yours  ever, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

'  Henry  Stanley,  who  had  promised  me  to  vote  for 
Sutton,  voted  for  Abercromby,'  Disraeli  bitterly  writes. 
'  O'Connell  is  so  powerful  that  he  says  he  will  be  in  the 
Cabinet.  It  is  the  Irish  Catholic  Party  that  has  done  all 
the  mischief.' 4 

4  Lord  Beaconsfield's  Correspondence,  1832-1852,  p.  32. 


522     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' CON NELL    CH.  xii. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  20th  February,  1835. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  wrote  you  a  triumphant  note 
yesterday  from  the  crowded  Library — obliged  to  kneel  in 
order  to  be  able  to  write.  Matters  are  looking  well.  It  is 
not  possible  for  this  Ministry  to  stand.  There  are  no  less 
than  316  pledged,  and  pledged  in  the  most  unequivocal 
way,  against  this  Ministry.5  There  were  many  who  voted 
against  us  out  of  personal  regard  to  the  late  Speaker, 
many  by  reason  of  having  been  entrapped  into  premature 
promises.  In  short,  we  must  have  fifty  more  on  the  next 
division,  be  it  what  it  may.  It  is,  however,  plain  that  no 
Ministry  can  do  their  work  without  a  majority  of  from  80  to 
100  at  their  side.  Now  it  is  utterly  beyond  any  question 
that  Peel  cannot  command  any  majority.  How,  then,  is 
he  to  work  the  machine  ?  There  is  another  comfort :  the 
Tories  boasted  that  they  had  a  resource  in  the  Stanley 
party,  upon  whom  they  could,  in  case  of  defeat,  fall  back. 
Well,  they  had  the  full  benefit  of  that  party,  and  still  they 
have  been  signally  defeated.  There  is  indeed  a  comfort  in 
all  this. 

The  next  division  will  be  on  the  Address.  If  Peel  re- 
mains in  office  till  then  we  will  beat  him  on  that  Address, 
and  again  on  the  Corporate  Eeform  question,  and  again 
on  the  Irish  Church  question.  In  short,  consider  his 
Ministry  as  virtually  annihilated.  This  is  good  news  for 
Ireland. 

Believe  me  always,  yours  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  27th  February,  35. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — The  second  defeat  of  the 
Ministry 6  was  more  signal  than  the  first,  because  it  was  after 

5  The     Administration    of     Sir  against  the   Government  by  a  ma- 
Kobert  Peel.  jority  of  7.     On  March  20  Peel  was 

6  Lord  Morpeth,  afterwards  Earl  again  beaten  on  the  Church  question 
of  Carlisle,  moved  an  amendment  by  322  to  289,  but  still  he  clung  to 
to  the  Address,  which  was  carried  office. 


1835  HIS   TEEMS   WITH  THE   WHIGS  523 

Stanley  had  withdrawn  from  our  party  all  that  he  would 
withdraw.  It  is,  therefore,  clear  that  this  Ministry  cannot 
possibly  stand.  To  be  sure,  Stanley  is  the  '  calamity '  of 
every  party  to  which  he  belongs  or  belonged.  He  was  the 
author  of  the  Coercion  Bill  and  the  ruin  of  the  character  of 
his  colleagues. 

The  Committee  upon  my  election  is  to  be  balloted  for  on 
the  19th  March,  and  the  lists  &c.  must  be  delivered  in  the 
next  day.  The  hopes  of  success  on  the  part  of  the  Conser- 
vatives is  small  indeed  compared  with  the  certain  gratifica- 
tion of  creating  great  expense.  I  fear  the  subscription  at 
our  side  will  be  but  small,  as  most  people  imagine  that  so 
futile  a  petition  will  not  be  persevered  in ;  but  that  is  an 
error ;  I  would  say,  a  fatal  error.  The  enemy  will  persevere 
merely  in  the  view  of  putting  me  to  expense.  This  you 
will  urge  upon  the  mind  of  every  friend  of  mine. 

You  will  perceive  that  I  have  offered  my  terms  of  support 
to  the  Whig  Ministry  when  they  shall  be  formed  again. 
They  are  these  : — 

1st.  As  good  and  extensive  a  Eeform  Bill  for  Ireland  as 
the  English  people  may  have.  In  other  words,  the  same 
measure  of  reform  for  both  countries. 

2d.  The  reduction  of  the  establishment  to  the  extent 
of  the  wants  of  the  Protestants,  and  a  proper  application  of 
the  surplus. 

3d.  A  compleat  Corporate  Eeform. 

Upon  getting  these  terms  I  am  ready  to  give  a  full  and 
fair  trial  of  their  efficiency.  I  would  give  that  trial  to  shew 
whether  they  could  produce  good  government  in  Ireland, 
and  if  that  experiment  failed  I  would  come  back  with  tenfold 
force  to  '  the  Eepeal.' 

I  hope  my  offer  of  support  will  facilitate  the  return  to 
office  of  the  Whigs. 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

The  papers  give  a  most  inadequate  idea  of  the  success 
of  my  ridicule  of  the  Stanley  party. 


524     COEEESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 
To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  Friday,  March  6,  1835. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  could  not  but  smile  at  your 
notions — -first,  that  I  should  hesitate  to  put  down  nay  name 
for  £100  for  the  expenses  of  the  petition.7  Believe  me  that 
any  thing  I  save  of  £1,000  in  the  defence  I  will  consider  it 
so  much  actually  gained.  I  have  indeed  already  expended 
near  £90  in  the  preliminary  arrangements.  This  includes 
£50  which  I  gave  Sir  E.  Sidney  for  all  his  own  services  and 
the  use  of  all  his  clerks  and  his  office.  I  thought  this  a 
great  bargain. 

Secondly.  It  seems  to  me  that  you  offer  me  only  the 
hope  of  a  mouthful  of  moonshine  when  you  talk  of  some 
refuse  sum  left  after  some  club  which  has  been  dissolved. 
You  call  it  £200.  Murphy  wrote  to  me  that  it  was  £150. 
Perhaps  £50  will  turn  out  to  be  the  ultimate  produce. 
But,  at  all  events,  I  will  go  on.  Heaven  knows  that  I  am 
bound  to  every  exertion,  whether  I  get  assistance  from  others 
or  not.  Do  not  therefore  imagine  that  I  repine  at  the 
unwillingness  exhibited  to  collect  funds  for  the  purposes  of 
defence.  It,  indeed,  sometimes  comes  on  me  with  a  sensa- 
tion of  sorrow  that  I  have  left  Kerry,  where  I  was  always 
secure.  But  I  do  not  repine.  Why,  after  all,  should  I  ? 

I  wish  you  to  communicate  these  sentiments  of  mine 
to  Kedmond,  Le  Fenu,  &c.  I  do  not  wish  you  should 
by  any  means  take  any  personal  part  in  this  matter — I 
mean  in  collection  of  funds. 

The  point  on  which  the  present  Ministry  are  divided 
is — the  mission  of  Lord  Londonderry  to  St.  Petersburg. 
The  Duke,  it  is  supposed,  got  Peel  to  accede  to  his  limited 
views  on  Corporate  Reform  by  threatening  to  resign,  and 
that  he  is  playing  the  same  game  again  as  to  the  Petersburg 
Embassy.  It  is  not  so  clear  that  he  will  succeed  on  the 

7  On  the  re-election  of  O'Connell  letters  will  be  found  written  during 

and  Euthven  for  the  City  of  Dublin  the   costly   and  protracted   inquiry 

a    petition    was    promptly    lodged  that  the  petition  entailed, 
against   their  return ;     and  several 


1835  DESERTION   OF  A    GREAT   CONTEST  525 

present  occasion  by  a  mere  threat ;  if  not,  he  resigns  and 
this  Ministry  is  knocked  up.  Indeed,  I  do  not  see  how  it 
can  possibly  carry  on  the  public  business. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

National  Bank  of  Ireland,  39  Old  Broad  Street, 
London  :  7th  March,  1835. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  do  not  think  I  ever  felt  more 
of  the  approach  of  disgust  than  at  the  contents  of  your 
letter,  verifying  as  it  does  my  prophecy  of  yesterday,  that 
the  refuse  club  fund  you  spoke  of  would  not  realise  more 
than  £50 ;  but  it  verified  it  differently  from  what  I  imagined . 
I  thought  the  refuse  fund  would  not  in  itself  amount  to 
more  than  that  sum,  but  I  did  not  imagine  that  there 
would  be  any  difficulty  in  giving  all  that  thus  lay  bye. 
But  you  see  it  is  not  so.  They  think  it  would  be  too  mag- 
nificent to  give  the  entire,  and  therefore  they  gave  the 
smaller  sum.  I  have  no  right  to  complain  on  my  own  account, 
neither  do  I. 

There,  however,  never  was  such  total  desertion  of  a 
great  contest.  Murphy  wants  aid.  Of  course  he  does,  and 
the  £50  given  by  the  old  club  will  just  pay  his  coadjutor, 
Terence  J.  Dolan,  who,  as  he  is  a  paid  agent,  charges  but  a 
very  small  sum.  The  result,  however,  will  be  this.  I  shall 
be  put  in  for  from  £1,000  to  £1,500  for  the  Dublin  Election 
petition,  from  £500  to  £1,000  for  the  Tralee  Election  peti- 
tion, a  like  sum  for  the  Youghal  petition,  a  like  sum  for 
my  half  of  the  Meath  Election  petition,  and  you  perceive 
how  little  prospect  I  have  of  any  species  of  assistance. 

Again,  it  appears  to  me  that  there  has  not  been  any  one 
tangible  point  advanced  in  point  of  information  or  evidence. 
One  day  I  get  a  letter  full  of  great  and  sounding  promises  ; 
the  next  day  another  shewing  that  not  one  halfpenny 
worth  has  been  done ;  but  I  own  the  paltry  shrinking  from 
contributing  the  entire  club  money  indicates  so  much 
coldness  and  indifference,  that  if  any  thing  could  possibly 


526     COBBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

induce  me  to  abandon  the  contest  it  would  be  such  conduct. 
I  repeat,  however,  my  determination  to  go  on.  I  wish  I 
could  write  the  letter  for  Dr.  Carroll,  but  I  must  confess 
that  the  total  abandonment  of  the  popular  party  in  Dublin 
disables  me  from  the  exertion.  Why,  I  am  told  David 
Lynch 8  got  into  a  passion  for  receiving  one  of  our  circulars ! 
It  is  certain  that  he  is  doing  nothing,  and  he  lost  his  vote 
by  neglecting  to  pay  his  pipe-water  tax.  But  I  do  not 
complain  of  any  thing  save  the  vapouring  letters  I  receive. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

9  Clarges  St. :  March  9th,  1835. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — Tell  Barrett  I  cannot  write  to 
him  this  day,  nor  have  I  anything  to  write  about.  Every 
political  event  is  in  such  obscurity  that  it  is  in  vain  to 
prophesy,  and  hope  becomes  sick  by  the  delays  which  have 
occurred.  Lord  Chandos  is  already  deserted  by  many  of 
his  supporters  on  the  Malt  tax ;  and  the  motion  on  Friday 
to  stop  the  supplies,  or  rather  to  limit  them  to  six  months, 
has  not  been  decided  on  sufficiently  early  to  promise  suc- 
cess. It  is,  I  believe,  certain  that  Stanley  has  had  an 
hour's  conversation  with  the  King,  but  it  has  been  without 
results.  I  would,  however,  add  my  decided  opinion  that 
the  present  Ministry  cannot  possibly  stand. 

So  much  for  politics  ;  now  for  the  petitions  against  me. 
There  are  now  in  progress  of  presentation  three  petitions 
against  my  three  sons  besides  that  against  myself.  The 
Orange  enemy  is  resolved  to  run  me  down  if  he  possibly  can. 
I  complain  only  of  the  Dublin  expenses.  It  is  too  bad  to 
have  them  all  thrown  on  me.  You  perceive  there  is  more 
sympathy  for  me  in  England  than  in  Dublin.  Am  I  not 
supporting  the  rights  of  every  voter  ?  How  ridiculous  is 
it,  therefore,  to  rejoice  in  the  services  of  Dolan,  or  any 
body  else  who,  although  wretchedly  paid,  necessarily  takes 

8  Father  of  the  late  Judge  Lynch. 


1835  PLAGUED  BY  FOUR  PETITIONS  527 

away  the  entire  of  our  fund — namely,  the  boasted  club 
money.  I  will,  however,  fight  all  the  enemies  of  the 
country  whilst  I  have  one  guinea. 

That  will  not  be  long,  it  seems,  for  there  were  not  funds 
ready  for  my  £400  draft  to  the  College  Bursar ;  if  not,  it 
would  account  for  the  deficiency  :  but  then  you  should  have 
written  to  him  and  required  him  to  carry  into  effect  our 
arrangement. 

It  is  exceedingly  ludicrous  to  see  the  grave  letters  I  get 
from  Dublin  relying  on  my  '  proverbial  good  fortune,'  just 
as  if  it  were  a  matter  of  chances.  The  doctrine  of  chances 
would  not  be  against  any  man  whose  dice  were  more  than 
once  favourable.  But  it  is  not  so.  I  have  been  fortunate 
hitherto  simply  because  of  the  invaluable  assistance  I  get 
from  other  quarters  and  other  persons.  It  was  because  I 
was  directed  and  aided  by  a  wisdom  and  by  exertions  not 
my  own  that  such  success  took  place,  and  I  will  now  fail 
for  the  opposite  reason. 

Go  to  my  house  and  search  in  my  study  for  a  deed 
engrossed  on  parchment  executed  by  me  and  my  son 
Maurice  to  my  son  Morgan  just  before  the  Meath  Election. 

To  Joseph  Denis  Mullen. 

London  :  llth  March,  1835. 

My  dear  Mullen, — Many  thanks  for  your  kind  and 
satisfactory  communication.  The  Orange  party  hate  me 
with  a  most  malignant  hatred.  They  have  involved  me  in 
the  expenses  of  four  petitions.  I  have  no  chance  of  miti- 
gating their  hatred,  so  I  continue  firm  in  my  determination 
to  deserve  more  of  it.  I  am  cheered  to  find  those  persons 
rallying  with  me  with  whom  upon  matters  of  detail  I  might 
have  had  differences,  and  to  see  that  the  violence  of  the 
common  enemy  is  wisely  met  by  our  becoming  common 

friends. 

Believe  me,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


528     COEBESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL     CH.  xn. 
To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London  :  13th  March,  1835. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  perceive  distinctly  enough  that 
we  shall  get  but  little  money  from  Dublin  to  defray  the 
expenses  of  the  Petition.  I  see  I  must  ruin  myself  in  these 
expenses,  and  I  will.  Come  what  may,  I  will  see  the  matter 
through.  It  is  the  severest  strife  I  have  had  for  Ireland  as 
far  as  I  am  personally  concerned,  but  it  certainly  is  not  for 
me  to  shrink.  Enough  of  this. 

Send  me  a  copy  of  the  deed  without  the  least  delay. 
Send  one  copy  on  Monday  and  another  on  Tuesday.  Keep 
the  deed  itself  until  Forde 9  is  coming  over  for  the  Meath 
Election  Petition.  Be  sure  to  state  the  witnesses'  names 
at  full  length  in  each  copy.  The  most  material  things  are 
the  names  of  the  parties,  the  names  of  the  witnesses,  and 
the  consideration  stated  in  the  deed. 

I  rely  most  strongly  on  your  furnishing  me  with  these 
materials  at  once.  .  .  . 

I  think  of  nothing — I  dream  of  nothing — I  speak  of 
nothing  but  the  Petition. 

Yours  always,  &c., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  March  23rd,  1835. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — They  have  been  on  two  wrong 
scents — the  one,  the  Petition  for  a  Commission  which 
cannot  be  used ;  the  second,  the  investigations  into  the 
solvency  of  the  sureties  after  they  have  passed. 

I  will  want  money  shortly.  I  have  given  about  £130 
towards  the  fees  to  counsel,  and  will  have  to  give  as  much 
more  next  week. 

There  is  one  point  I  want  you  to  exert  yourself  about. 
You  recollect  that  it  was  by  means  of  a  communication 
through  you  from  Lyons  of  Cork  that  I  interposed  for  Sulli- 

9  Wm.  Forde,  a  pleasant  attorney  much  esteemed  by  O'Connell,  and 
familiarly  styled  '  Civil  Bill  Forde.' 


1835  SUFFERS  MENTAL  AGONY  529 

van  of  Kilkenny,  and  saved  him  the  expense  of  a  contest.1 
Only  just  think  of  the  fellow.  My  ballot  is  to  be  on  Thurs- 
day. One  vote  may  decide  my  fate.  Well,  off  goes  worthy 
Mr.  Sullivan  this  fine  morning,  on  private  business,  to 
Manchester.  I  have  written  after  him,  but,  of  course,  in 
vain.  Now  you  must  set  a  watch  on  the  Dublin  hotels, 
and  whsn  he  gets  to  Dublin  let  him  know  he  has  but  one 
way  of  atoning  for  his  treachery  to  me,  and  that  is  by 
being  back  here  for  the  30th,  for  Lord  John  Eussell's 
motion. 

Private  business  cannot  be  an  excuse  for  the  absence 
of  a  man  who  sought  for,  and,  with  my  aid,  forced  himself 
on  the  constituency.  Dominick  Eonayne 2  also  is  absent. 
Well !  well !  !  well !  !  ! 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

London :  25th  March,  1835. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  suffered  much  mental  agony 
respecting  the  Elections  and  these  Petitions,  and  still  think 
that  they  are  calculated,  as  they  were  intended  certainly,  to 
ruin  me.  But  my  mind  has,  thank  God,  recovered  its  tone 
and  energy,  and,  having  made  all  my  preparations,  and 
finished  all  preliminary  arrangements,  I  await  the  result  in 
perfect  tranquillity,  and,  I  hope,  in  entire  submission.  I 
had  my  first  consultation  of  Counsel  last  night,  and  have 
put  them  into  possession  of  my  views  of  the  defence.  I 
am,  therefore,  enabled  to  promise  that,  as  one  of  the 
Counsel,  I  will  be  able  to  do  my  business  perhaps  as  coolly 
as  if  I  was  not  myself  concerned  at  all.  I  think  I  will  be 
able  to  do  my  duty.  Our  Statement  and  lists  of  objections 
are  made  out  completely,  and  everything  now  turns  on  the 

1  In  1835  Kichard  Sullivan  had  O'Connell's     Parliamentary    body- 
been  re-elected  M.P.  for  Kilkenny  guard,    and    distinguished    himself 
City,   but  in  1836  he  accepted   the  besides  as  a  writer  of  political  lam- 
Chiltern     Hundreds,     and    Daniel  poons.     (Vide  Life  of  Dr.  Doyle,  ii. 
O'Connell  took  his  place.  pp.  380  et  seq.) 

2  Dominick  Eonayne  was  one  of 

VOL.   I.  M  M 


530     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    OH.  xn. 


persons  who  shall  compose  the  Committee.  If  it  be  a  Tory 
Committee  they  will  refuse  to  do  me  justice ;  if  I  get  a 
fair  Committee  I  must  succeed.  All,  therefore,  depends  on 
the  Committee.  In  the  selection  of  it  there  is  nothing  but 
pure  chance — as  fair  a  chance  as  can  be,  and  as  much 
chance  as  any  casual  incident  in  human  life.  I  am  quite 
resigned  to  the  result.  I  am  also  resigned  to  the  desertion 
of  my  defence  by  the  Citizens  of  Dublin  in  point  of  pecuniary 
means.  I  have  given  another  £100  for  lawyers'  fees,  and 
will  on  Monday  have  to  give  a  similar  sum.  If  I  am  de- 
feated I  must  look  out  for  another  seat.  It  can  be  procured 
by  more  than  one  voluntary  resignation.  I  have  more 
than  a  month  to  prepare  for  my  son's  Petition.  By  that 
time  my  mind  will  be  disengaged  altogether  from  my  own 
affair.  The  great  annoyance  I  feel  from  this  Petition  is 
that  it  absorbs  my  time  from  other  matters. 

It  seems  that  there  is  no  doubt  but  we  will  beat  the 
Ministry  heartily  on  Monday;  and,  indeed,  I  venture  to 
believe  that  they  will  have  resigned  by  this  day  week.  Such 
expectations  are  strongly  entertained,  and  even  the  triumph 
of  last  night  will  contribute,  and  does  contribute,  to  their 
weakness. 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

My  dear  FitzPatrick, — I  deeply  deplore  your  calamity, 
but  recollect  how  frail  we  all  are,  and  that  submission  to 
the  will  of  God  is  our  first  duty.3 

Blessed  be  His  Holy  Name  !  The  Committee  in  my 
case  is  struck  favourably.  There  are  no  less  than  eight 
Eeformers  to  three  Tories,  so  that  beyond  any  reasonable 
doubt  we  shall  succeed.  This  is  the  more  important  as  it 
secures  us  the  commission  in  Dublin.  My  mind  is  now 
altogether  at  ease.  Dominick  Eonayne 4  arrived  in  time  to 


3  These  passages  refer  to  the 
sudden  death  of  Hugh,  only  brother 
of  P.  V.  FitzPatrick.  He  died  un- 
married on  March  20,  1835,  at  Glas- 


gow, aged  thirty-three  years. 

4  Eonayne  addressed  his  consti- 
tuents periodically,  and,  while  urg- 
ing them  to  work  for  the  redress  of 


1835  RONAYNE  AND   THE  'PIKES'  531 

be  drawn  on  the  general  list,  and  so  cost  the  enemy  one  of 
their  challenges.     I  can  write  no  more  to-day.     As  far  as 
politics  can  cheer  you,  here  is  a  ray  of  hope. 
Yours  with  the  greatest  truth, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 

To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 
(Private.)  Friday,  March  27,  1835. 

My  dear  [Barrett]  FitzPatrick, — I  was  going  to  write 
to  Barrett,  but  recollected  this  was  not  his  day.  Nothing 
done  in  my  Committee  but  changing  lists. 

The  scoundrels  are,  I  believe,  in  point  of  fact,  out 
certainly — aye,  certainly  on  the  verge  of  being  so.  I  had 
it  from  an-  intelligent  Tory  member,  besides  being  confirmed 
by  our  friends.  Blessed  be  the  great  God  for  this  prospect ! 
Before  Tuesday  evening  you  will  hear  of  them  being  quite 
gone.  It  is  joyful  to  think  that  the  Iron  rule  of  Orangeism 
is  so  nearly  at  an  end.  The  division  last  night  literally 
bothered  the  rulers  of  the  Cabinet.  The  trimmers  and 
waverers  deserted  them.  Expect,  therefore,  the  best  of 
news.  I  would  give  a  pound  for  an  attested  copy  of  Shaw's5 
visage  as  he  went  just  now  into  the  House.  I  cannot 
describe  my  delight.  Eyer  yourg? 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL, 
To  P.  V.  FitzPatrick. 

[No  date.     Written  during  the  progress  of  the  Petition  to  unseat  him 
member  for  Dublin.] 

At  the  present  moment  my  majority  is  reduced  to 
twenty,  and  that  principally  by  the  non-payment  of  the 

grievances,  deprecated  an  appeal  to  sprang  from  the  platform  and  seized 
arms.  '  What  about  the  pikes  ?  '  a  the  disturber,  but  at  last  it  appeared 
voice  exclaimed,  which  Eonayne  that  the  allusion  was  merely  to  turn- 
feigned  not  to  hear ;  but  he  had  not  pikes,  which  fifty  years  ago  were 
proceeded  far  in  his  speech  when  regarded  as  a  grievance  both  in 
« Pikes '  was  again  vociferated.  '  You  Ireland  and  Wales.  O'Connell  called 
scoundrel ! '  he  replied,  '  you  have  Eonayne  the  '  tollman's  terror '  be- 
been  sent  here  to  disturb  a  peaceful  cause  he  had  gone  from  fair  to  fail- 
meeting,  but  you  shall  be  baulked  preaching  against  tolls. 
in  your  thirst  for  blood;  and  if  s  Eight  Hon.  Frederick  Shaw, 
there's  no  one  else  to  give  you  to  the  M.P.  for  Trinity  College,  Dublin, 
police,  I'll  do  so  myself.'  Eonayne 


532     CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL    CH.  xn. 

pipe-water  for  the  year  1834.  So  that  all  this  calamity 
comes  upon  us  by  the  neglect  of  payment  of  the  miserable 
pipe-water  rent  for  which  everybody  gets  value.  Well,  it 
cannot  be  helped ;  the  expense  to  me  is  enormous.  The 
Committee  has  now  sat  for  nearly  a  month.  Calculate  £100 
a  day,  and  you  will  see  what  it  comes  to ;  but,  of  course,  the 
month  includes  Sundays.  I  do  not  feel  myself  at  liberty 
to  concede  one  single  vote  or  to  compromise  the  right  of 
any  voter.  I  should  prefer  ruin  to  deserting  those  who 
voted  for  me.  I  therefore  do  not  complain. 


'  One  day  at  this  time  I  received  a  letter  from  O'Connell, 

asking  me  to  call  on or to  know  if  they  would 

be  willing  to  give  a  large  sum  in  hand  for  his  Autobio- 
graphy. They  would  only  publish  on  the  half-profit 
system,  which  failed  to  satisfy  O'Connell's  expectations, 
and  the  matter  dropped.' 6 

6  The  late  Carew  O'Dwyer,  M.P.,  to  the  editor,  December  6,  1859. 


APPENDIX. 


THE   CATHOLIC  ASSOCIATION. 

Mr.  John  Smith,  of  London,  who  had  rendered  important 
services  to  the  Irish  during  the  season  of  famine,  received  the 
following  letter  from  O'Connell  in  1825  : — 

Merrion  Square  :  January  11,  1825. 

Sir, — Pursuant  to  a  vote  of  the  Catholic  Association  of  Ire- 
land, I  have  the  honour  to  transmit  to  you  £20  as  a  donation 
from  that  body  to  the  '  Protestant  Society  for  the  Protection  of 
Religious  Liberty.' 

The  amount  is  small,  but  it  strikes  me  that  it  derives  an  im- 
portance from  the  principle  on  which  it  was  voted.  It  was  voted 
by  Catholics  to  maintain  the  rights  of  Protestant  fellow-Christians, 
and  upon  the  principle  that  conscience  ought  to  be  free,  and  that 
neither  force  nor  fraud  should  be  allowed  to  interpose  to  prevent 
the  exercise  of  that  faith  which  is  conscientiously  and  sincerely 
believed. 

I  have  always  felt  a  pleasure  in  the  assertion  of  this  principle, 
and  I  am,  indeed,  delighted  at  the  opportunity  of  communicating 
with  you  upon  such  a  principle — with  you,  whose  name  is  cherished 
with  ardent  affection  by  the  people  of  Ireland.  That  fine  people 
want,  as  is  admitted,  food  and  fire,  clothing  and  hospitable  dwell- 
ings— but  they  do  not  want  kindly  dispositions  or  generous  senti- 
ments ;  and  so  long  as  human  hearts  can  throb,  or  the  human 
voice  utter  words,  so  long  shall  your  name  be  repeated  amongst 
us  with  affection  and  -gratitude.  Allow  me  to  say,  that  there  is 
not  one  who  participates  more  strongly  in  those  feelings  than 
he  who  has  the  honour  to  be,  etc., 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


534       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  0' 'CONN 'ELL 

To  Godfrey  Massy,1  Esq.,  of  Ballinakill,  County  of  Limerick. 

Darrynane  Abbey  :  September  24,  1832. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  had  the  honour  to  receive  your  letter  of  the 
14th  instant,  and  I  confess  it  gave  me  singular  pleasure.  To 
find  that  the  measure  of  all  others  most  necessary  to  the  welfare  of 
Ireland — the  Eepeal  of  the  Union — had  found  an  advocate  in  a  gen- 
tleman of  your  respectability,  principles  and  connexions2  gave  me 
heartfelt  delight.  I  am  conscientiously  convinced  that  it  is  utterly 
impossible  to  restore  prosperity  to  Ireland,  or  to  advance  her  agri- 
cultural and  manufacturing  interests  without  a  domestic  legislature. 
I  am  equally  convinced  that  such  a  legislature  can  give  safety  and 
security  to  the  rich,  and  employment,  wages,  and  comfort  to  the 
poor.  With  these  impressions  on  my  mind,  and  devoted,  as  I 
trust  I  am,  to  the  good  of  Old  Ireland,  your  letter  gave  me  heart- 
felt satisfaction.  I  wish  now,  for  your  sake,  that  I  possessed 
more  influence  in  your  county.  What  I  have  shall  be  cordially 
and  cheerfully  at  your  service.  The  persecution  instituted 
against  you  by  the  Anglesey  Government  alone  entitles  you  to  the 
support  of  the  honest  part  of  your  countrymen — especially  as 
that  persecution  originated  in  your  constitutional  and  strictly 
legal  exertions  for  the  extinction  of  tithes.  That  odious  impost 
will  not  long  continue  to  burthen  our  agriculture — and  whilst 
we  respect  vested  rights,  believe  me  that  the  government  attack 
on  you  will  go  far  to  assist  in  destroying  the  abusive  system  now 
pressing  on  the  people  of  all  classes  and  persuasions.  The  union 
ought  not  to  be  repealed  as  a  triumph  for  one  part  of  the  Irish 
nation  over  any  other  part  of  the  Irish  people.  It  is  only  in  the 
combination  of  men  who  have  differed  upon  other  points  as  you 
and  I  have  done,  that  valuable  and  useful  success  can  be  obtained. 
That  for  which  I  have  ever  sighed — that  for  which  good  men 
have  long  prayed — was  that  the  day  should  arrive  when  men  of 
various  religious  sentiments  and  of  different  politics  should  find 
a  ground  of  national  utility,  common  to  them  all,  on  which  they 
could  join  and  combine  for  the  liberty  and  prosperity  of  their 
common  and  beloved  country.  In  the  Eepeal  question  we  have 
found  that  ground ;  and  it  becomes  the  good,  the  honest,  the 
virtuous,  the  patriotic  men  of  all  parties  to  reach  out  the  hand 

1  Mr.  Hugh  Massy  had  long  pre-       a  Peer, 
viously     represented     the     county  2  See  page  307,  ante. 

Limerick,  and  in  1776  was  created 


APPENDIX  535 

of  amity  one  to  the  other,  and  vow  eternal  fidelity  to  Ireland  and 
Irish  interests  on  this  political  altar  of  national,  constitutional, 
and  truly  loyal  independence.  I  offer  you  my  hand,  and  my 
heart  is  in  it — in  the  name  of  Ireland  and  for  the  restoration  of 
her  self-government.  Ireland  is,  and  ought  to  be,  our  first 
thought — the  repeal  of  the  union  our  first  duty.  I  hail  with 
delight  this  combination  of  Irishmen  which  you  and  I  and  our 
mutual  friends  will,  I  trust,  exhibit.  In  the  oblivion  of  past 
feuds,  and  in  the  cultivation  of  cordial  conciliation  and  honest 
and  sincere  co-operation,  does  real  Irish  patriotism  consist.  I 
do,  therefore,  honestly  and  sincerely  embrace  your  cause — I  do 
honestly  and  sincerely  desire  your  success — and  I  am  ready  to 
contribute  to  that  success  by  any  and  every  exertion  in  my  power. 
Your  very  faithful  friend, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL, 


WILLIAM   COBBETT. 
To  Edward  Dwyer. 

Darrynane  Abbey:  llth  September,  1834. 

My  dear  Friend, — I  perceive  by  the  papers  that  Mr.  Cobbett  is 
on  his  way  to  visit  Ireland.  I  wish  we  were  able  to  give  him  a  re- 
ception worthy  of  his  talents  and  public  services.  He  is  really 
one  of  the  most  extraordinary  men  that  the  world  ever  saw. 
When  one  contemplates  the  station  in  society  to  which  he  has 
raised  himself,  and  then  looks  back  to  his  commencement  in  life 
as  a  labouring  boy,  enlisting  as  a  private  soldier,  one  knows  not 
which  most  to  admire — the  value  of  that  strong  mixture  of  the 
democratic  principle  in  British  institutions  which  has  allowed 
him  to  make  such  an  advance,  or  the  extraordinary  and  vigorous 
intellect  that  enabled  him  to  overcome  the  many  difficulties 
which  a  counteracting  aristocracy  have  thrown  in  his  way,  and  to 
become  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  useful  men  now  living. 

He  has,  it  is  true,  changed  his  opinions  of  men  and  things 
with  sometimes  unaccountable  rapidity  and  violence  ;  yet  when 
we  look  at  his  astonishing  literary  labours — when  we  see  that  he 
has  published  the  very  best  and  most  practically  useful  books  of 
instruction — that  he  has  written  the  most  pure  English  of  any 
writer  of  the  present  day,  and  has  embraced,  and  illustrated,  more 

3  See  page  504,  ante. 


536       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL 

topics  of  popular  and  sound  politics  than  any  other  living  or 
perhaps  dead  author — that  even  his  errors  and  mistakes  are 
brought  forward  with  so  much  distinctness  and  fairness,  that 
they  also  advance  the  cause  of  truth  and  justice,  by  stimulating 
to  and  requiring  most  attentive  and  considerate  discussion.  In 
short,  take  him  for  all  in  all,  I  am  convinced  that  he  is,  of  living  men, 
one  of  the  greatest  benefactors  of  literature,  liberty,  and  religion. 

Aye,  of  religion — for  his  History  of  the  Protestant  Keforma- 
tion  in  England  has  all  the  interest  of  a  tale  of  mere  invention, 
whilst  there  is  not  one  allegation  in  it  but  what  can  be  sustained 
by  the  most  distinct  evidence  of  contemporary  and  even  adverse 
writers 

I  extremely  regret  that  I  cannot  be  in  Dublin  to  meet  him. 
You,  my  excellent  friend,  as  Secretary  to  the  late  Catholic  Asso- 
ciation, must  supply  my  place.  You  must  get  up  a  public  dinner 
to  entertain  him,  at  which  he  may  receive  the  respectful  atten- 
tions of  the  sincere  friends  of  civil  and  religious  liberty  in  Dublin. 
As  he  goes  through  the  country,  he  will,  I  doubt  not,  receive 
public  testimonials  of  regard ;  and  I  hope  he  will  go  back  con- 
vinced in  his  opinions  that  the  people  of  Ireland  do  not  deserve 
the  cruel  treatment  they  have  received,  and  still  continue  to 
receive,  from  the  British  Government. 

Do  me  the  kindness  to  wait  on  him  the  moment  of  his  arrival 
in  Dublin,  and  hand  him  the  letter  I  enclose,  marked  '  private.' 
I  beg  of  you  to  enforce  for  me  the  request  it  contains,  that  he 
will  come  to  visit  this  mountainous  district. 
Yours  very  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


HOW  TO   TEANQUILLISE   IEELAND. 

To  William  Sharman  Crawford,  Esq. 

Darrynane  Abbey :  27th  September,  1834. 

My  dear  Sir, —  .  .  .  You  and  I  are  perfectly  agreed  that  tran- 
quillity is  essential  to  the  well-being  of  Ireland.  But  tranquillity 
itself  must  be  an  effect  flowing  from  other  causes,  before  it  can 
become  in  its  turn  an  efficient  cause  of  prosperity.  There  are 
two  modes  of  producing  tranquillity ;  causing,  however,  quite 
different  consequences,  because,  whilst  the  tranquillity  produced 
by  the  one  mode  is  full  of  every  cheering  hope,  that  produced  by 


APPENDIX  537 

the  other  is  only  the  consummation  of  mischief  and  misery.  I 
deal  with  the  latter  first.  The  mode  of  producing  this  species  of 
quietude  is  by  force,  by  violence,  by — in  short — Coercion;  for 
that  is  the  favourite  word  of  modern  tyrants.  The  kind  of 
tranquillity  thus  produced  is  indeed 

A  death-like  silence,  and  a  dread  repose. 

The  authors  of  it  are  properly  described  by  the  British 
chieftain,  Ubi  solitudinem  faciunt  pacem  appellant.  This  tran- 
quillity is  produced  by  suppressing  complaints,  by  strengthening 
the  oppressor's  arm,  by  binding  hand  and  foot  the  wretched 
victim  of  bad  laws,  and  of  worse  ministers  of  these  laws— by 
giving  more  power  to  the  wrong-doer,  and  by  overwhelming  the 
sufferers  from  such  wrong — by  making  iniquity  triumphant,  and 
leaving  the  objects  thereof  altogether  defenceless.  This  is  the 
tranquillity  produced  by  Insurrection  Acts,  by  Coercion  Bills,  by 
military  license,  by  police  slaughterings.  It  causes,  to  be  sure, 
'  a  death-like  silence,'  but  it  is  only  for  a  time.  It  creates  a 
repose,  but  that  repose  is  '  dread,'  and  awful,  and  above  all  things 
it  is  transitory.  No  man  can  rely  on  its  continuance ;  no  one 
confides  in  its  duration.  It  resembles  the  slumberings  of  a 
volcano,  tranquil  for  a  time,  only  to  burst  forth  with  accumulated 
horrors  and  increased  ruin.  I  write  not  of  imaginary  things. 
I  do  not  draw  upon  my  fancy  for  unreal  sketchings.  I  tell  by 
abstract  propositions  the  story  of  Ireland.  I  draw  no  inferences. 
I  simply  write  history — the  history  of  Ireland.  For  seven  hun- 
dred years  these  have  been  the  means  resorted  to  by  our  English 
rulers  to  tranquillise  Ireland.  These  are,  alas  !  the  only  means 
which  they  have  to  this  hour,  aye,  even  up  to  this  hour,  employed 
to  produce  peace  in  this  ill-fated  land.  They  are,  I  do  really 
believe,  as  ready  to  repeat  the  atrocious  experiment  as  if  seven 
hundred  years  of  similar  mis-rule  had  not  proved  that  although 
the  exhibition  of  discontent  may  be  suppressed  for  a  season,  yet, 
that  it,  after  a  short  pause,  shows  Out  again  in  renovated  and 
increased  rage,  vigour,  and  wildness  of  revenge.  Such  is  the 
first  mode  of  producing  tranquillity.  Such  is  the  only  mode 
hitherto  resorted  to ;  and  above  all,  observe,  I  pray  you,  such  is 
the  species  of  tranquillity  produced  by  that  mode. 

There  is  another  mode  of  rendering  Ireland  tranquil—  a  mode 
hitherto  untried ;  but  which  assuredly  ought  to  be  tried,  if  it 
were  for  nothing  else  but  for  the  sake  of  novelty.  The  second 

VOL.    I.  N  N 


538       CORRESPONDENCE  of  DANIEL  O'CONNELL 

and  hitherto  untried  mode  is  by  redressing  all  wrongs,  by  sup- 
pressing oppressions,  by  abolishing  grievances,  by  correcting 
abuses,  by  discountenancing  oppressors,  by  encouraging  industry, 
by  fostering  agriculture  and  commerce,  by  having  religion  per- 
fectly free.  In  a  word,  by  doing  justice  to  all  the  people  of 
Ireland.  This  is  the  mode,  my  excellent  friend,  which  you  and 
I  would  adopt  with  a  certainty  of  success.  It  is  thus  that  we 
would  produce  that  desirable  tranquillity  which,  far  from  being 
the  silence  of  hopeless  slaves,  would  be  the  moral  atmosphere 
of  contented  freemen.  A  tranquillity  which  would  give  leisure 
and  opportunity,  and  furnish  stimulants  to  the  attainment  of 
the  highest  degree  of  national  and  individual  comfort  and 
prosperity.  Such  is  the  tranquillity  we  desire,  such  is  the 
amelioration  of  the  social  state  which  is  the  darling  object 
of  our  honest  ambition — a  tranquillity  which,  in  the  deepest 
recesses  of  my  conscience,  I  am  convinced  can  be  produced  only 
under  the  tutelar  care  and  protection  of  a  domestic  and  parental 
legislature.  But  in  the  meantime  let  us  give  the  enemies  of 
Repeal  no  excuse.  Let  us  point  out  to  them  the  wrongs  that 
require  to  be  redressed,  the  grievances  which  require  to  be 
abolished.  The  most  obvious  and  pressing  of  these  is  the  Tithe 
System.  Until  the  tithe  system  is  abolished — totally  abolished, 
not  in  name  only,  but  in  essence  and  in  practical  reality — Ireland 
cannot  experience  tranquillity.  There  is  no  tranquillity  for  Ire- 
land until  the  tithe  system  is  annihilated  root  and  branch.  There 
can  be  no  compromise  with  it.  Delenda  est  Carthago,  should 
be  our  motto.  The  tithe  system  must  be  abolished  by  law,  and 
for  ever.  .  .  . 

Yours  faithfully, 

DANIEL  O'CONNELL. 


END    OF    THE    FIRST    VOLUME. 


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